December 2011 Archives

Howzit! (common South African greeting) I think it finally just hit me today! This morning when I went outside to eat my apple and piece of toast! The sun was shining, there was a cool breeze, and I was staring at the giant mountain right in front of me. It didn't look real; it should have been in a painting. At that moment when I opened the gate to the street and looked both ways and saw life happening all around me...it got real. I am on a completely different continent across the world from where I learned everything about me and my life from. My world is upside down, and I love seeing it from the view I have here. I haven't even been here 24 hours! South Africa is a 3rd world country and in the next 3 weeks, I am privileged enough to live comfortably and see the immense gap between the rich and poor. I will be in both worlds at different times and experience each. I get to see...learn...feel...experience. I can't explain how ready I am to take it all in with an open mind and grow. I was standing on the opposite side of the road from my group waiting to go grocery shopping when a homeless old man came up and started talking to me. He was too poor to even live in a metal shack. I see homelessness in the United States even on the block I live in the cities, but this was different. It was desperation...and it was heartbreaking. I haven't even gone into the townships yet. I have so much to learn a head of me. When I got into the grocery store, nothing was familiar. Taxis and cabs are 2 different things here. Taxis are mini buses that drive crazy and holler out the window at you to see if they can give you a ride! I will take that ride at some point, but it is recommended to take a cab after 7pm for safety. They drive on the opposite side of the rode and car. Every shop is unique....I haven't even been downtown Cape Town yet. Well friends, it's that time to get ready to go out to eat somewhere for a friends 21 birthday! I will write as much as I can while I am here for those of you that want to live vicariously through me while I am this journey. Tomorrow, I will be going on a retreat for 3 days...when I return I will write all about it! Ta-ta for now! Love Shauna <3

So we officially made it to Capetown late last night. We are all safe and sound, and except for the occasional muscle cramp from being confined to a plane for 16 hours and the relative lack of sleep I experienced for the same reasons I would say that I arrived in one piece. However, being in a new place even for just one day I have come to notice some major differences between here and Minnesota. Furthermore, I have already faced some struggles. I find that I am really struggling with the concept of money here. I cannot quickly convert my U.S. dollars to rands, and therefore cannot figure out how much things cost. I've noticed that my first reaction to this frustration is to simply spend the money and then take count later of what I've spent. This is an unhealthy approach because I think I will wind up spending way more than I had anticipated. I have also noticed how much I devalue the American  coin. When purchasing a cup of coffee in the United States, out of habit I usually toss all the coins that I am given back right into the tip jar. I did this in the airport in Joburg and received a song of gratitude from the guys behind the counter followed by the statement "You must be from America". I realized later that the coins I dropped in were likely equivelant to 2 to 3 US dollars... a rather high tip for a 3 to 4 dollar cup of coffee. I haven't even been here for a full 24 hours and my Americanisms are already showing. My goal is to take this lesson and to figure out ways that I can become more aware of my Americanisms and counter the ways in which they alter my experiences both here and back in the United States.

Well after about 30 hours of traveling I am finally in Cape Town. It only took four planes; a stop near D.C, Dakar Senegal and Johannesburg SA before arriving here is this so far amazing city. We took South African Airlines, which I would highly recommend. The food would be A class airplane food in my mind- my food ranged from blueberries, pineapple to brownies and kit-kats, scrambled eggs, sausage and so much more. I slept a lot of the plane rides but when I wasn't sleeping they had a screen per seat that consisted of blockbuster films such as The Help, Water for Elephants and Horrible Bosses- I watched those three but there was about 50 more movie titles to choose from. Along with movies I listened to CDs they had ranging from Justin Bieber to Adele to Keith Urban.

 

Last night after we arrived and everyone had collected their items from baggage claim we met with the InterStudy leaders who drove us to our houses. I am in house 14 with eight other girls. Outside my bedroom window I have a garden, which at the moment is bright and sunny and making me very excited to go outside. The temperature is mid seventies.

 

The plan for today is having an orientation with InterStudy, walking around the area and going to the grocery store, getting a tour of the campus and then we have the evening off.

 

I am so excited to be here and to be off a plane for the next three weeks! So many exciting adventures are awaiting to happen!

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. My name is Daisy hidalgo and I am a freshman. I plan to major in Political science, and recently declared Spanish minor. I am also thinking about a social justice minor or management. One of those, I am not sure which one but maybe I will figure it out on this trip to South Africa. Being one of the two freshman makes me pretty happy. This is something that college freshman do not do their first year, I am glad that I am one of the few that get this opportunity to study abroad freshman year. Here I am trying to figure out what is going through my mind at this point. I leave to South Africa tomorrow morning, and I am still getting over my parents being in Mexico for about a week now. Both things came up super quick. This trip is something I have been looking forward to in months. I learned about this exciting and amazing opportunity from my upward bound advisor. I had originally planned to go to Thailand to do some volunteer work. Unfortunately, it would be too expensive. Luckily, I found this global seminar. I have always wanted to travel, and this would be a great opportunity for me to go somewhere. That was not Mexico. I was super excited to apply to the seminar that I had not looked into the liberal ed requirements it would cover. I just wanted to go and learn more about the Apartheid. This was something completely new to me. I was so interested in it, that when I did a research paper for my political science class I learned that the congressperson I had done my research on worked with an organization in South Africa. I found this very interesting and it made me anxious for the class. I cannot wait to share this moment with everyone who is going, I know this something that will be life changing and will help us all grow. From this trip, I hope to gain a better sense of community and learn to share my ideas with others. And I am glad I can finally post on the blog, I was having issues and finally got it, Thanks Nate. I'll see everyone tomorrow.

Hey everyone, I suppose I can't delay this blog posting any longer but find myself packing and posting a little later than I should be. The past several months I haven't gotten as good of a chance as I should have to look forward to, or to get excited about leaving, with classes and finals still in front of me. After cramming for a week, I've been home for just over four days now and I can't believe I'll be crossing through security in half a day. The past several days have allowed me time to appreciate family, friends, and well deserved time off, which has gotten me thinking about what's really important. My family and friends primarily, and one of the important things about these people is the person they have helped me to become today, and more importantly someone I want them to be proud of tomorrow. Going to South Africa is something I have wanted to do for several years now, and the opportunity to volunteer and take a class was simply too good to pass up. Volunteering is something that I really do value and I think taking time to help others, or better others, is something an Individualistic nation often forgets. I do not think there is a single aspect of this three week opportunity I am not extremely excited about and feel like I will learn as much about myself as I will about the people and culture of South Africa. Well I plan on getting back to playing some family games and possibly even packing. Airport in 12 hours, Merry Christmas, Scott

Aniin. Howa mino giizhiigad niij anishinaabeg. Chii miigwech gitchi manitoo wabaminagoog noongoom. Madison Anderson indizhinikaz. Nagachiiwanong indonjiba. Ajijack dodem. 

12/24/2011
Matt Norring

Hello All,

My name is Matt Norring. I am a finance major in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Today, December 24th, is Christmas Eve, and I have just finished spending time with many of my family members. I am so thankful for everything in my life including this opportunity to go on a study abroad trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

I can not even begin to describe the feelings and emotions running through my mind as we are only 1 day away from departing. There are many things in life that we are all sometimes guilty of taking for granted - home, food, family, education, health to name a few. However, I am certain this study abroad trip is not one of those things for me. I am ready to leave all of my preconceived thoughts and expectations behind and open my eyes to something completely new. I can not wait to open my mind to another culture and experience something that will truly be 'life-changing'. I have always been fascinated by South Africa's will to never give up during the apartheid regime. I believe there is so much to learn from this country's rich history and how they have rebounded from such great adversity.

One thing that I am most excited for is helping out in the townships. I have always thoroughly enjoyed volunteering. To me, helping those in need is one of the greatest eye-opening experiences one can go through. I have never witnessed firsthand the levels of poverty in the townships that are discussed in Kevin Winge's book 'Never Give Up', but I can only hope that I will be coming in with the right mindset.

Until Next Time,

Matt

I can't even really express my excitement to be leaving for South Africa in a couple days. I have always been very interested in social issues and the differences in cultures across the world. With all its different cultures, backgrounds, and the turbulent history of social injustice, South Africa seems like the perfect place to learn about and experience the different issues I've been interested in, all in one place. I have always been particularly interested in Apartheid and how South Africa has come back from such a horrific history. I have also come to realize how critical and annoyed I am with America's super individualistic and consumerist culture. My mom (who moved here from Nigeria to finish school) always jokes about "these spoiled Americans" and how disrespectful Americans can be sometimes, but I didn't really understand how different cultures could be until I went back to Nigeria with her in 2000. Ever since then I have been aching to visit a different country soon, preferably an African country but pretty much anywhere in the world. Freshman year I took a War and Media seminar in which we watched a documentary on South Africa's conflict resolution and reconciliation which included footage of people not only apologizing and repenting of the horrific acts they had committed towards each other, but also families and individuals forgiving those who had destroyed their homes and families. That was where my first interest in South Africa really sparked. After watching Invictus in 2009 (because of my love for rugby) my interest in South Africa grew even more. I actually went to the library (in real life) to check out books on Apartheid and Nelson Mandela. Because I didn't have much time to read in addition to all my schoolwork (and also because of my graphic design background and visually stimulated mind), I ended up going through a book that was primarily filled with images from pre, post, and during Apartheid. Even the simplest images were gut‐wrenching. The looks on people's faces, the signs that were put up to designate acceptance of certain kinds of people, the physical devastation in the neighborhoods and the emotional devastation on people's faces. Even though I wasn't alive during slavery or the civil rights movements here in the United States, I felt as though I could somehow relate to these images, even if just through similar knowledge of my own country's history. I am so excited to finally experience this country for myself, to immerse myself in a new and different collection of cultures. I have always thought of myself as very culturally well‐rounded and open because of my Nigerian heritage on my mom's side but I'm really hoping that this trip will lead me to learn even more about myself and my views and in turn, make me a kinder, more understanding, more respectful and more selfless person than I am today.

Hi, my name is Freesia Towle, and I'm a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota. Words cannot describe how excited I am to be apart of this trip to Cape Town, South Africa. Initially, I had heard about this trip through one of my friends, Kirsten (Kiki) Benish who had gone last year. Over the past year, we've found in common that we've both gravitated towards subjects within global studies and social justice. Through out the year she continously recommended this trip to me and told me the experiences I'd learn were not comparable to any lesson learned within a classroom. Her inspirational experience with this trip kept me thinking about applying for it. Finally one day I did. When I finally received the news that I had been acepted for the trip, I became incredibly excited. Before the trip, I had little idea of what had happened in South Africa, other than the historical Apartheid law. I had no idea what the racial make up was, other crucial aspects of South African history, or the contemporary social situations that exist today. Even during the time that we've prepared for the trip, I feel I've grasped more of an understanding of the cultural history within South Africa, but I still have much more to learn. One thing I am tremendously excited about is being exposed to completely different lifestyles and cultures within another town, another country. I thought reading Kevin Winge's book was important, because it emphasized Winge's continual feelings of of class divisions, certain privileges he possessed as a White male American and also a lesson he learned about "how to come in right". He talks about "coming in right" as a way to respectfully enter a new place, culture or situation that you have never been a part of before. He emphasizes that it's important to listen more often than speaking aloud in certain situations, and also leaving behind a structured, judgemental viewpoint that prohibits you from learning. On this trip, I plan to do my best to take Winge's advice to "come in right", because I agree with him that it's a very important aspect of traveling abroad and learning in a new environment with completely different lifestyles and cultural patterns. I've traveled to Costa Rica before with my High School, but it was very limiting in terms of understanding different culture and social classes because we were primarily learning within in the wealthier areas within Costa Rica. Personally, I feel that learning about reasons behind social disparities and social divisions is crucial because it's an issue that occurs within so many parts of the world. Even within the city of Minneapolis, there are extreme levels of poverty and wealth. I believe this trip will enhance knowledge I've developed before this trip, and also transform many of my personal values. I feel that situations we'll encounter, discuss and experience in South Africa will teach us lessons that cannot be learned in any other way. I'm looking forward to using this experience in South Africa to apply to other situations in life regarding certain social divisions, disparities or new cultural situations. I look forward to building strong relationships with the group members on this trip; this is a unique experience that we will be exposed to together which will quickly strenghen our friendships.

Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Tschida and I am very excited to travel with all of you to Cape Town in just a couple of short days. I work in the Learning Abroad Center and am accompanying this program as part of our office "onsite internship program" where we can apply to work onsite with one of our study abroad programs for a significant amount of time. The general idea of the internship is to have an opportunity to reconnect with the onsite experience and learn about what it is like to work on the other side of study abroad and then use that experience to inform our work back at the U. I've been working in the LAC for a little over 6.5 years and have been working on setting up Global Seminars for about 4.5 years now. I'm absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity to witness a GS from start to finish and to learn with all of you over these next few weeks. I expect to experience a range of emotions while in South Africa. Everything from excitement, sadness, anger, joy, confusion...the list goes on. I expect to be challenged by this experience - by the things I see, the people I meet, the things I learn and by things like adjusting to life in Cape Town, navigating the culture, getting around the city (my sense of direction isn't the best!), and learning to live and think as a member of our community. I expect to make mistakes. I welcome these challenges and want to use these challenges as a way to grow more as a person-- a peacemaker, an activist, a community member, a civic minded individual, a professional, an international/intercultural educator, a friend, a sister, a daughter and a wife. Hopes for myself: I hope I will get to know each of your stories better. I hope I am able to open up and share my story too. I hope to gain a better understanding of reconciliation and what it means to forgive. I hope to make connections and bring back what I learn in South Africa to the U.S. context. I hope to not be a burden or an intruder to the people of South Africa. I hope to be inspired and reenergized. I hope I can inspire and energize others too. Safe travels and I will see you all in the Cape Town airport very soon!

This will be my first time leaving the US. I'm beyond excited, but also scared. As of now it hasn't really sunk in that I will be in South Africa for the next three weeks. Beyond this being the opportunity of a lifetime I have many reasons for going. As a student majoring in youth studies I've grown to appreciate and use Social Justice Youth Development (SJYD) as my grounding theory when working with young people. I strongly believe that youth have a voice that needs to be heard. Instead of dismissing young people's voices, spaces need to be created where youth can actively use their voice and engage in their own development. Furthermore, youth have a political self and are aware of the social, political, and economic forces that hinder not only their development, but also their communities. Historical events, such as apartheid, where young people played a major role in creating social change, motivate me to understand how this transformation took place. Visiting communities and genuinely listening to the rich narratives, particularly related to reconciliation and resiliency, will aid me in my work today as a youth worker and in my future career as a social worker. From this experience, I hope to gain a world view lens and understanding of different ways of knowing that I can encourage and use in my efforts to eliminate social injustice and inequality.

Jessica LeBlanc 12-23-2011 I have never studied abroad. I always wanted to. If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have told you that I would study for a semester or year in France. I studied French for 4 years of high school and all through college. But, things change. Here I am, 10 years later working on a degree I started in 2001. Time has passed, but one thing has not changed. I still want to study abroad. As a full-time employee at the University, my options were limited. My supervisor was the Finance Manager for the Learning Abroad Center at the time and very supportive of me finishing my degree. She recommended the Global Seminars as a way to still experience study abroad, just for a shorter period of time. As an accountant, it would be almost impossible for me to participate in a May/Summer seminar during fiscal year end. This left me with Winter Break options and the South Africa program was a no-brainer. A chance to visit a country that I probably wouldn't easily travel to on my own plus the course content made it an easy choice. I'm going into this experience with an open mind. The 3 orientations and reading we've done in preparation for the course have been a huge help, providing a sense of some things we may experience while there and sights we will see, but I'm treating this is an adventure. Something I don't want to worry about or analyze, but fully experience in the moment. I know there will be very highs and very lows and I'm simply challenging myself to take it in as it comes -- a real test to human nature. For myself, I also hope this helps renew my spirit. The past 10 years have not gone 'to plan,' but I've come to see it as a sort of a blessing. Being able to be a part of this class only proves that -- reinforcing why I chose the major of International Studies all those years ago, the opportunity to break from 'normal' life for 3 weeks, to transform back to a full-time student, see a part of the world some only dream of, and be introduced to a people and place that will leave a life-long impression.

I never, ever thought that I would be going to the African continent, but three short days from now I will be making the trek to South Africa to begin a three week life-changing journey. This is something that I have been looking forward to for months and the fact that it is only three days away is completely surreal to me. I am feeling a great mixture of feelings from excited to overwhelmed to nervous--but mostly excited. When I was looking through the global seminar options for this winter they all looked awesome, but for whatever reason Cape Town really grabbed my attention before I even began to read into the program details.  After extensively looking into the details and exploring Cape Town via other Internet resources, I knew that this program and country was going to give me the best learning experience and memories that will stick with me for a lifetime, which was why I chose it.  More specifically, I chose this program for its vast mixture of experiences that it, and the country, engulf including all of, but not limited to, the following: the Apartheid (and all that it encompasses--past, present, and future), the great human diversity of South Africa, the cultural landscape,  Educo Africa retreat, MaT Service-Learning, talking circles, District Six Museum, Robben Island, and so much more.  I don't really know what to expect for this three week journey and everything within it, but I do know that I am going to embrace it all with open arms--every high and every low--which is something quite new for me personally.  I hope to challenge myself like I never have before throughout this adventure. I hope to overcome my fears. I hope to grow. I hope to make new friends, connections, and memories that will last a life time. I hope to have a new appreciation and understanding of life and everything within it. I hope to learn things that will be valuable as I head into the "real world", for graduation is approaching fast. The compassion that I have for this trip is difficult to put into words. Nonetheless, I hope for and look forward to so, so, so many things. 

South Africa...I never thought I would be meeting you. But I can't wait. 

More than anything I suppose my reason for taking part on this trip is because I have heard so much about it and wanted to experience it myself. I am a freshman here at the University of Minnesota and have never traveled to another continent. I don't read a lot of world news, I have always been very interested in world history but I couldn't tell you much about current events. I have learned about South Africa and their history of apartheid; however I never knew about their forgiveness. I am really happy I chose this trip because I have already learned so many wonderful things about the country and I have been counting down the days until I go. I have absolutely no expectations for what I am about to experience, but the more I read in the syllabus and course packet I get even more excited about all the things we will get to do in 3 short weeks. I hope to go into this as open minded as possible; I can't wait to talk to the people of South Africa and learn so much from them. I really like that this is more of an experience than it is a class. Being in the country and spending time with the citizens will teach us far more than books ever could. I feel truly blessed that I have the opportunity to go on this adventure and share it with my classmates and whoever is reading along with our blog! My last piece is for my family... they have been very supportive of this trip and have made it financially possible for me to go, for which I am very thankful.

I forgot to add that seeing that the Bantu languages came from this area, it is a reason for me to be very excited to go. While, I was in Cameroon, I learned how to speak one of hundreds languages from there. The other language that I can speak is a Semi-Bantu language. Those who migrated from South Africa brought the Bantu language to Cameroon. Also, in school, i learned that the tectonic plates that moved the different continents to be where they are today can be traced back in the mountain regions of South Africa. I know that we will be going inside one of this mountain, so I am very excited to see and experience this.

There are many reasons for why I am going to South Africa. One of them is that I have always known about South Africa 's struggles and achievements since I was very little. Yes, I have watched Shaka Zulu and Sarafina when I was about eight years old. I learned a lot about the great African kingdoms such as the Zulus and how South Africa was settled and colonized in the late 19th century. At the same time, i learned about the Aparheid system and the racial division that accord from 1948 to 1990. In Sarafina, the college students were protesting for Nelson Mandela to be freed and a lot of riots took place. Students were gased, beaten, jailed, and burned. By going to South Africa, I will be able to stand on the soil that all that history took place. As a Cameroonian-American, I can't wait to share and listen to my African brothers and sisters in South Africa. This would be the second time that I have ever gone to the African soil. The last time was when I went to Cameroon at close to two years old and returned eight years later. This experience has transformed me to the person i am today. For me, this also serves as a return to the African continent. I am also interested how they have dealt with forgiveness which is still an issue in the United States and how they dealt with identity which is very relevant to who I am. I hope that by going to South Africa will able to find understand better the questions and issues that i have had to deal with.

My reasons for going on this life-changing adventure are simple and complex. I want to get to know myself and learn from others in the world. I want to expand my cultural perspective and deepen my capacity to be human. I want to live in the moment and change for the future. I know it will not be easy, but I am ready. Building up to the trip, I haven't been overly thinking about it. I am nervous, excited, anxious, and everything else right now. My heart feels flooded with emotions, good and not so good. So to avoid over analyzing like I usually do...I am just going with it. I don't want to be pre-occupied with thoughts of what it is going to be like. What it IS like while I am there is what is important to me. I hope that all of my reasons for going are fulfilled. I believe they will be plus many more. I hope to make new friends, connections, and memories that last a life time. I hope to cherish every second while I am there. I hope to be challenged but to take the challenges as opportunities to learn. This trip will be my sweet escape. An escape from my mind into a place of new perspective, growth, and valuable tools for my future.

I have just three short weeks to make the most out of an experience I will have only once. Three days from now I will be on my way to South Africa. I still can't believe I'm actually going. The second I learned about this program I knew I had to be a part of it. I remember at the end of the summer before school even started I nervously told a few friends about my plans to go to Africa over my break. I hadn't even applied, but my heart was set on getting to Africa.

It's so difficult to put into words all the reasons I have for wanting to go to Africa. I want to see things I've never seen before. I want to meet people unlike any other people I've met thus far in my life. I want to open my eyes and my soul to a new world. I want to learn what it really means to feel and what it really means to be human. I want to define my goals, hopes, passions, and sense of self by pushing myself to see through a different lens. I want to be faced with situations where I will be forced to go out of my comfort zone. I want to get a taste of a country that has overcome the turmoil of Apartheid by upholding and enforcing the simple value of forgiveness. As much as I want this trip to be fun, exotic, and full of adventure, I want it to challenge me even more.

I am expecting to be totally blow away by the beauty of South Africa. I expect to be completely speechless when I first arrive. Reflecting on y previous work as a camp counselor and a tutor for elementary school kids this past semester has really made me aware of how much I love working with children and feeling like I myself am making a direct impact in someone else's life. Of all the exciting excursions and plans made for this trip, I am most excited to work with and inside one of Cape Town's townships. Life in a township is something I am totally unfamiliar with. My expectations are likely ignorant ones so I am very anxious to rid myself of ignorance and dive in full force as work with and alongside new and incredible people.

As I sit here three days before we leave I am feeling so grateful for even being able to have this opportunity. I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful support from my friends and family and I am so looking forward to feeling the warmth and embrace of all of you who will be traveling with me. I spend the majority of my time traveling between Minnesota for school, Rhode Island to see my family, and Wisconsin where I spend my summers working at camp. I'm thrilled to be going to South Africa and expanding my map. I hope that these next three weeks will only be the start to a lifetime of adventure--whether it take place in another country or locally.   

       I discovered this seminar one day when I suddenly realized I am a senior, and I have never traveled abroad before!  So, I made an appointment to speak with a learning abroad adviser, and learned of the 3 week global seminars; immediately "South Africa: Tracing the Footsteps of Social Change" caught my attention.  I didn't have a particular country that I wanted to travel to, because I fully intend to travel as much of the world as I can during my lifetime.  However, the words "social change" jumped out at me, as I am a person who frequently seeks projects that may bring about social justice.  I'm currently an undergraduate psychology major, GLBT studies minor, and I'm applying for graduate schools in social work.  I devote a large portion of my time volunteering with organizations such as the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center, The Aurora Center, MnCoSA (work with sex offenders), Compassionate Action For Animals, GLBT rights and feminist events, and pretty much any random projects that I deem a worthy cause.  So,"Social Change" are two words that spark further investigation. 

        Reading the description of the course, certain phrases struck a chord with me: "Their story of overcoming Apartheid is unfinished yet their spirit to endure is essential to our understanding of human possibility," "forgiveness," and "moving forward."  I knew little of the story of Apartheid, but I have come to learn more about it in these past few months, and I am now excited to meet the people who have overcome such a tragic time.  I think I will have a lot to learn from them, as I too have been through some difficult times (which pale in comparison to the struggles of the people of South Africa.)  I absolutely adore listening to the stories that people have to share about their lives, and I tend to always see a thread of commonality in everyone that makes us intrinsically human, which I will be searching for in South Africa.  I feel that us citizens of the United States have so much to learn from non-Western cultures; we are not the only beings on this planet and I believe there is more to life than we see here in our consumer-driven society.  It is easy for me to read about non-American countries, and learn in classes about non-Western cultures, but I know it will be life-changing to immerse myself in another country.

      I can't say that I'm not apprehensive about this trip at all.  After all, I will be going to another country for the first time, for three weeks, with people who I have only met a few times before.  However, the nervousness hasn't really sunk in yet.  Right before I leave, I have had to finish up finals, and finish applying for grad schools.  This is one of the most stressful times of my life, and its hard to feel worried when I have so many other things going on.  South Africa will be a welcome "break" from my hectic life here in Minneapolis, and from what I know of the people I'm going with, they are awesome.  Honestly, the biggest thing that's bothering me right now is that I will be leaving my pets, and my boyfriend, Corey.  This is the longest I will have ever been away from my cat, Distance, since she was born, and Corey tells me she often sits by the door and waits for me to come home from work. 

We think she may already know that I am leaving; she has been extra snuggly these past couple days.  At least I know she, Sydney (my chameleon), and my saltwater fish tank will be in good hands when I am gone.  Corey, I'm probably going to be attempting to skype with you on a daily basis, though I'm not too worried about you, as I know you will have plenty of time to watch things I don't want to, and listen to music that annoys me ;)

     I think I am just rambling at this point; I always do that when I am faced with the task of writing a blog.  I want to leave some final words to my friends and family: I know you are worried about me, but I am going to be okay.  Others have made the trip before, and survived.  I am extremely excited to be able to participate in this wonderful opportunity, and I know I will bore you with many stories on my return.

 <3 Alexa

Hello, My name is Marika Reese. On Monday I'll be leaving for a 3 week seminar in South Africa. When I first signed up for the seminar I thought I knew why I was going, but I actually had no idea. I thought I wanted to go because I'm a sociology major and I dedicate most of my time to tracing footsteps... The footsteps of the homeless, the footsteps of at risk youth, the footsteps of domestic violence victims, and even the footsteps of myself. So I ask myself, what are footsteps? Footsteps to me are something you leave behind in the past to move forward to something else in the future. Footsteps sound like a positive move to me, because I've never seen someone walk backwards for too long. I now know I'm going on this trip to learn. I'm learning a way of life that I've never had to experience and to also study somewhere that has a rich history of racism that has moved forward. I'm going to south africa so I can change myself for the better and create my own footsteps, maybe in a new direction.

Hello all! For anyone who might not know, I am going on an adventure to South Africa this winter break, and I this is the first entry in my blog. I'm leaving Monday morning, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little scared. I have never been out of the country before, and I have no idea what to expect from this trip. I have been trying to prepare- I've done research on Cape Town and South Africa, but I don't think reading articles on the internet can do it justice. So I think I'm just going to wing it, and keep my mind open to all new experiences. I know that we will have plenty of fun on this trip, but that we are going there to learn, and some of the experiences will be deep and heavy. My goal for myself is to be able to take in the range of experiences and appreciate them all for what they are. I want to embrace this trip, try new things, and live outside of my box for a few weeks. I can honestly say that when I thought of myself studying abroad, I never pictured myself in Africa. I always assumed that when I finally went on a trip outside of the United States I would end up in Europe somewhere. But I like the idea of going someplace I never thought I would. I had never really given a thought to South Africa before, but now that I have learned a bit more about the country, I am so glad that I went a little outside my comfort zone and decided to go on this trip. I am excited beyond words to visit this country and learn about such a vibrant and interesting place. I am nervous, excited, and completely ready to jump into my three weeks in Cape Town, South Africa! For any family and friends who want to follow along with my trip, this blog is the way to do it. I would like to say that my blog entries will all be witty and charming, but knowing me they will probably be a little awkward with poor spelling. Once I actually get to South Africa, I will be posting pictures to go along with the blog, so watch for those (just a heads up, when we visit the beach with the penguins the blog will probably just be pictures with a few exclamation marks). Comments are definitely appreciated, especially if they are sarcastic and funny, as I know my friends and family are. I am so excited to go on this trip, and I look forward to sharing it with my friends and family through this blog.

i am lion.pdf

I wanted to post the poem I shared at our first pre-departure meeting. Again, I wrote it after acceptance to the South Africa program. I was overwhelmed with joy and excitement. I painted the lion in a high school art class.

I have always thought lions to be the most beautiful creatures. In these animals, I see both myself and the self I want to become. Lions embody power, strength and independence. Yet, there remains a strong sense of community within a pride, with each member complementing, supporting, and learning from the other.

I just returned home from an event run by two of my friends who are youth workers, collaborating with young people of color to give voice to educational inequities.* I was inspired by the high school students and community members who shared their stories, naming the disturbing -- yet unfortunately unsurprising -- ways that wealth affects the quality of schools in the United States. What has become effectively a policy of depriving resources to communities of color and low-income communities is a key, root cause of disproportionately high rates of imprisonment of these same groups. Lack of access to quality education and thus employment opportunities profoundly impacts young people's lives -- preventing some from being leaders simply because they are not white and/or don't have money.

Hearing these stories, surrounded by many dear friends, I was reminded why I'm looking forward to experiencing a few brief weeks in South Africa. Certainly I'm grateful to have the privilege to travel halfway around the world, see beautiful mountains, and meet some activists and children who I hear are wonderful. Nonetheless, I must also never forget myself as a college-educated White American with the economic opportunity to pursue this experience -- reminiscent of colonial travel to 'exotic' places far from home -- with responsibilities to address the many injustices ingrained in our society, within Minneapolis / Saint Paul and the University of Minnesota itself. I realize that I'm constantly thinking about how my experience in South Africa can provide insights into organizing with others to fight for changes in the United States, a country founded upon the creation of white supremacy. I'm reminded that endeavors to change centuries old systems aren't a one-time act but rather works in progress, moving in multiple directions and entailing frequent mistakes, instead of a singular march toward some particular arrival point. I don't expect an answer of sorts but I do look forward to being away from the Twin Cities, processing and reflecting on the ways I'm implicated in this experience while it's also affecting my political consciousness uniquely.

I signed up to go to South Africa because I'd heard from some good friends of mine that they underwent significant changes personally. I plan to put my whole self into this trip and soak up every ounce of learning I can, in order to reflect more on what I can do at home here in the United States. Ultimately, we must strive to uproot the legacies of apartheid maintained within our own borders.

*Their organization is called the Youth Education Justice Initiative (YEJI) -- please find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YEJImn or Twitter @YEJImn.

I just wanted to leave y'all with a little something that warms my heart and is calling me back to South Africa. There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered.
-Nelson Mandela

xoxo,
b

Hi Everyone!

So this is my first blog for South Africa....actually, this is my first blog I have written ever! Big deal, I know, but I hope for everyone who reads this, I hope it is a learning experience. Not just for myself, but for the people reading it, that you will begin to understand what I go through and what we, as a group experience in our adventure to South Africa together. :)

There are so many reasons why I chose to go to South Africa this winter break. I don't think I could fit it into a single paragraph, but some of the main reasons I am choosing to go are because I have always had a fascination with Africa. I find it to be a diverse and beautiful country that I have never understood. There are many different people, cultures, and religions that are not highly known in the United States. They have gone through things that I cannot even image and they still manage to be true to themselves, that is a beauty in itself.

I also chose this global seminar because of it's name, South Africa: Tracing the Footsteps of Social Change. I was looking online and I saw the name and instantly read the description of the program. I fell in love with the seminar. The description talked about the beauty of South Africa and how the people, even through Apartheid have achieved a sense of happiness and zeal of life. It discussed that as a student I would focus on my "self" and to be honest, I think that is a major thing that I need to work on in my life. I hope that I will be able to focus on my "self" and to be able to grow as a person and to be able to understand the culture and my surroundings in a positive way to help me figure out who my "self" truly is. The description says we will learn about the history of South Africa and we will examine how South Africans view their community and how they live together. This caught my eye because I want to work with urban youth in particular and many urban youth are a different ethnicity than I am and I believe that this will help me grow as a person and a youthworker to better begin understanding other cultures.

      My expectations for this trip are far and wide. I'm so excited to go to South Africa but am incredibly nervous at the same time. I have never travelled this far, I've been to Mexico and Canada but those two countries almost don't count because they're so close! I've never gone over the ocean! So I'm not looking toooo forward to the plane ride :P I get antsy with a four hour plane ride to Mexico so we'll see how this goes! But I am expecting this to be an amazing trip! I've heard this trip is awesome and I have heard from other people who have visited South Africa that is incredibly beautiful. So I'm expecting nothing less. But I don't know what to expect with we do our service learning in the Delft township. As Kevin Winge stated in his book, I'm afraid that I will only be looking through an "American lense". I'm scared that I won't be able to get past my "Americanism" to be able to truly grow with my experience. So my expectation of myself is to get past my "Americanism" and to be able to "come in right" to South Africa. I can't wait!!!!!! :)   

By now I'm sure that most of you have read part or all of the Kevin Winge book that Nate asked us to read prior to our next predeparture meeting. I am mostly through it. I find the book to be both educational and entertaining and I really enjoy it. There is one particular chapter title 'You've Got to Come in Right' that has stood out to me. In this chapter, Kevin discusses the importance of entering a new culture such as South Africa in the right frame. We cannot go in trying to 'fix' things... because they may not actually be broken. If we wish to help the people of South Africa, it is important to listen to them about what it is that they need from us. We can't assume that our way of doing things is the right way.

Kevin highlights some other key things to keep in mind when entering a new culture. He explains that 'You've got to come in right.' The ideas he expressed have really hit home with me.

However, I am afraid that I will not be able to 'come in right'. I do not want to enter this experience as an ignorant being who thinks she knows it all. I also do not want to end up one of those people with good intentions that went wrong. I want this experience to be something that I learn from and that those around me can learn from as well. I guess I'm just afraid that I will be a 'tourist'. This is not what I want.

If anybody has any advice or words of support on how I can 'come in right'... I would appreciate it! Thanks,

Courtney