Wow, we haven't posted in quite some time, so I'm sure you're all wondering if we're even still alive! For those of you who picked us up at the airport, you know that we made it (although just barely!).
To follow up from the last post... we spent 5 more days in Namibia which took us to Etosha National Park for 2 days of great safari adventures and then some R&R (well, as much as one can get in Africa) in the capital city of Windhoek.
Next we headed into Botswana, a country that has several elephants, donkeys, and foot-and-mouth-disease checkpoints on the roads. Here, we spent 3 days in the Okavango Delta, which took several hours to get to, and once there, we were completely in the Wild. No guns for protection (and we actually came within 20 meters of a real wild lion eating a real dead antelope), no toilets for doing your business (but we did have a nice hole that we dug in the ground), and no civilization or cities or cell phone reception for miles upon miles upon miles. It was great. Wonderful experience!
After the Delta, we spent a day at Chobe National Park where we spent almost an entire day riding on a motor boat up and down a river watching elephants, hippos, crocodiles, monitor lizards, several hawks and eagles, and many other animals.
Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe (largest waterfall in the world) was the next stop. It was gorgeous! There were also craft markets at which you could trade t-shirts, shorts, pillows, shoes, and even food for handcrafted goods and souvenirs.
We then drove for 2 days straight down to Johannesburg. Following this, we departed for Kruger National Park and finally saw the only animal of the Big 5 that had so far been elusive... the mighty leopard!!! Other Big 5 animals include the rhino, elephant, buffalo, and lion.
The return trip was CRAZY! All total, we spent 43 hours traveling from Johannesburg to Kansas City and were detained at Immigration in Cape Town for supposedly being in the country illegally, sat on a plane in New York City for over 4 hours before it finally took off, and then missed our connecting flight in Atlanta that would have brought us home. Scrambling for a way to return home, we ran to a boarding gate that was sending a flight to KC, and luckily, a super wonderful lady took pity upon us and put the three of us at the top of the standby list and eventually ensuring that we had a seat on the plane! And while we arrived 3 hours later than we wanted to, and while most of our baggage didn't even arrive until even later that evening, we managed to do the most important thing: make it back safe and sound.
I'm sure we all have our cell phones back on now so give us a call!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Joshua: Namibia!
Hello, all!
We're having the times of our lives on our travels throughout Southern Africa. We're currently resting for 1 1/2 days in Swakopmund, Namibia, a small, Germanic-influenced town along the country's coast.
Thus far, we've travelled through the Cederberg Mountains and the Orange River in South Africa up the Western coast. Also, we went to Fish River Canyon, the oldest canyon in the world; spent 2 days in the vast, beautiful Namib Desert (climbed up Dune 45, viewed countless, bright red dunes at sunrise, explored desert wildlife, etc.); stayed in Solitaire, Namibia, a town with a population of 1; and much, much more!
We miss you all and hope that you had a great Thanksgiving! We're thankful for you. We taught our international friends on our tour with us (we're the only Americans out of the 24 travellers) about Thanksgiving. Last night around the fire, we each said what we were thankful for.
Will post again when we can!
We're having the times of our lives on our travels throughout Southern Africa. We're currently resting for 1 1/2 days in Swakopmund, Namibia, a small, Germanic-influenced town along the country's coast.
Thus far, we've travelled through the Cederberg Mountains and the Orange River in South Africa up the Western coast. Also, we went to Fish River Canyon, the oldest canyon in the world; spent 2 days in the vast, beautiful Namib Desert (climbed up Dune 45, viewed countless, bright red dunes at sunrise, explored desert wildlife, etc.); stayed in Solitaire, Namibia, a town with a population of 1; and much, much more!
We miss you all and hope that you had a great Thanksgiving! We're thankful for you. We taught our international friends on our tour with us (we're the only Americans out of the 24 travellers) about Thanksgiving. Last night around the fire, we each said what we were thankful for.
Will post again when we can!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Joshua: Mozambique
We're alive and well!
Mozambique was absolutely incredible. We travelled on a sleeper train called the Shosholoza Meyl. It had a restaurant car and hot shower per car. We spent 2 days in Maputo with a wonderful British couple we found on Couch Surfers and then spent 2 1/2 days on the beaches of Xai-Xai. Xai-Xai is the most beautiful place on earth.
Will post more later. Just wanted everyone to know we're okay. We leave tomorrow at 8AM for Namibia!!!
Cheers.
Mozambique was absolutely incredible. We travelled on a sleeper train called the Shosholoza Meyl. It had a restaurant car and hot shower per car. We spent 2 days in Maputo with a wonderful British couple we found on Couch Surfers and then spent 2 1/2 days on the beaches of Xai-Xai. Xai-Xai is the most beautiful place on earth.
Will post more later. Just wanted everyone to know we're okay. We leave tomorrow at 8AM for Namibia!!!
Cheers.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Joshua: Southern Africa, here we come!
To all our family and friends,
We leave tomorrow at 8:00 AM for Maputo, Mozambique, where we will be until Friday! After that, we leave Sunday for a 26 day camping trip throughout Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kruger National Park in South Africa. We'll have sporadic Internet access (probably twice over the entire month span), so we'll post quick sentence blurps to let you know we're still alive.
Don't send us e-mails at our sun accounts anymore. They're closed.
By the way, when we return to the USA, we'll compliment this blog with awesome pictures from our month tours. So even though we'll be home, check the blog again for the photos.
Cheers! We'll talk soon.
The South African Crew
We leave tomorrow at 8:00 AM for Maputo, Mozambique, where we will be until Friday! After that, we leave Sunday for a 26 day camping trip throughout Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kruger National Park in South Africa. We'll have sporadic Internet access (probably twice over the entire month span), so we'll post quick sentence blurps to let you know we're still alive.
Don't send us e-mails at our sun accounts anymore. They're closed.
By the way, when we return to the USA, we'll compliment this blog with awesome pictures from our month tours. So even though we'll be home, check the blog again for the photos.
Cheers! We'll talk soon.
The South African Crew
Friday, November 7, 2008
Drew: Cape Point, Penguins, and One Very Mean Baboon
On Sunday, October 26, we went with the international student organization on a trip first to Boulder's Beach, which boasts a large penguin population, and then to Cape Point at the Cape of Good Hope. They don't have penguins there; they have baboons. I wish they didn't have baboons... One attacked me and stole my package of cookies. If you look closely at the fifth picture below, you'll see the clear plastic bag that at one time had my cookies in it...
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Drew: YES WE DID!!!
Barack Obama won and the whole world is celebrating!
From a small tv in the lobby of the residence, the three of us have been glued to CNN International for several hours. The scenes of excitement and celebration are chilling to watch as it would seem as though America herself emerged triumphant from a long struggle.
And how about that acceptance speech?! Inspirational and empowering, to say the least!
However, in light of such a brilliant victory for our nation, there were unfortunately setbacks in the struggle for equality and dignity for all.
While I thought it had been removed from the ballot, Arkansas widely passed a ban on unmarried couples adopting children. Mainly affecting homosexuals, this initiative clearly holds the interests of self-righteous, right-wing prudes OVER the health and security of children within the foster care system. This measure brings shame not only to the state, but to this nation which claims to want the best for future generations.
Florida and Arizona both passed amendments to their state constitutions defining marriage as between one man and one woman. It would seem as though people still ignorantly think that they go to the courthouse and obtain a marriage license from God, rather than participating in a civil contract that aims solely to provide security and reduce eventual dependence on the government.
And in California, where nearly twenty thousand gay and lesbian couples have wed in recent months, voters actually enshrined into their state constitution something that REMOVES rights from its citizens. Aren't constitutions supposed to protect people? Seems like they are playing with fire.
So election night had its ups and downs. I'm thrilled that Obama was chosen in landslide victory, but the coattails of his message of hope, change, and equality were not long enough to combat this era's civil rights abuses.
From a small tv in the lobby of the residence, the three of us have been glued to CNN International for several hours. The scenes of excitement and celebration are chilling to watch as it would seem as though America herself emerged triumphant from a long struggle.
And how about that acceptance speech?! Inspirational and empowering, to say the least!
However, in light of such a brilliant victory for our nation, there were unfortunately setbacks in the struggle for equality and dignity for all.
While I thought it had been removed from the ballot, Arkansas widely passed a ban on unmarried couples adopting children. Mainly affecting homosexuals, this initiative clearly holds the interests of self-righteous, right-wing prudes OVER the health and security of children within the foster care system. This measure brings shame not only to the state, but to this nation which claims to want the best for future generations.
Florida and Arizona both passed amendments to their state constitutions defining marriage as between one man and one woman. It would seem as though people still ignorantly think that they go to the courthouse and obtain a marriage license from God, rather than participating in a civil contract that aims solely to provide security and reduce eventual dependence on the government.
And in California, where nearly twenty thousand gay and lesbian couples have wed in recent months, voters actually enshrined into their state constitution something that REMOVES rights from its citizens. Aren't constitutions supposed to protect people? Seems like they are playing with fire.
So election night had its ups and downs. I'm thrilled that Obama was chosen in landslide victory, but the coattails of his message of hope, change, and equality were not long enough to combat this era's civil rights abuses.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Drew: Outside Looking In
Throughout this election, I've become quite disaffected from ultra conservatives whose unabated trash-talking and fear-mongering is ridiculous and deceitful. Recently, my mother forwarded to me one of the several chain emails trying to paint Barack Obama as an evil Muslim plotting a jihad-like overthrow of our government. And as I'm definitely a supporter of equality and have no problems expressing my opinions, I felt the need to respond.
This is not addressed to anyone in particular, but rather a few thoughts for everyone to read:
"Oh please, surely we're not still catering to the falsely induced fear of Barack Obama's hidden ties to Islam. Seems more to me like conservatives are playing to people's inner xenophobia to scare them into voting for selfish political motivations rather than encouraging people to open their minds to different belief systems and cultures, analyze and respect differences, and form logical and accurate views. I'm not saying to forget your own religion, or even to take it out of the picture, but I AM saying that your narrow-mindedness results from a negligent lack of understanding of people who harbor different religious, political, and cultural beliefs. How can you demand other groups to change their actions from intolerance to acceptance when yours are the very same? The Bible speaks quite directly about hypocrisy, and I'd suggest that professing Christians uphold and practice this aspect of their religion, too.
In regard to the email, it is quite offensive and undeservedly biased. Is Barack Obama a radical anti-white Christian or a Muslim? People, make up your mind which ridiculous insult you're going to use and stick with it! And if you choose to call him a Muslim, and mean it as an insult, then I pity you. So what if there are 2000 mosques in America, there are God knows how many churches and we're all entitled to religious freedom, THE single-most important principle upon which America was built.
And the very fact that anyone would question the billions of dollars in federal aid to African countries based on a difference of nations' dominant religious beliefs is quite possibly one of the most inhumane, and certainly one of the most unChristian, acts I can think of. I challenge each and every one of you to leave your nice, insulated little bubble-world of cultural closedmindedness and go to Africa, or some other impoverished country, and spend time serving a community that is in desperate need of any and every resource imaginable. These people don't need God, they need food and running water. They need shelter and security. They need employment and infrastructure. They need a world free from discrimination and inequality and fear. Only then will thoughts of religion become important in their world, and only then should it even be considered as an issue on which to base conditions for humanitarian aid.
There is a reason why people voted for Barack Obama this week, and it had nothing to do with religion or race or fear, but rather hope and inspiration. Why are we even bickering over whether or not Muslim-Americans, or anyone really, should have an equal place in our great society when we both profess to support the very same Constitution? Because these politics of the past that isolate and exploit a common "enemy" at the expense of select citizens' rights unfortunately find listeners in those people with their heads still shoved in the sand."
I'd love to hear any thoughts or questions regarding my post! Send them to drew_keaster@hotmail.com or leave a comment on the blog.
Cheers!
This is not addressed to anyone in particular, but rather a few thoughts for everyone to read:
"Oh please, surely we're not still catering to the falsely induced fear of Barack Obama's hidden ties to Islam. Seems more to me like conservatives are playing to people's inner xenophobia to scare them into voting for selfish political motivations rather than encouraging people to open their minds to different belief systems and cultures, analyze and respect differences, and form logical and accurate views. I'm not saying to forget your own religion, or even to take it out of the picture, but I AM saying that your narrow-mindedness results from a negligent lack of understanding of people who harbor different religious, political, and cultural beliefs. How can you demand other groups to change their actions from intolerance to acceptance when yours are the very same? The Bible speaks quite directly about hypocrisy, and I'd suggest that professing Christians uphold and practice this aspect of their religion, too.
In regard to the email, it is quite offensive and undeservedly biased. Is Barack Obama a radical anti-white Christian or a Muslim? People, make up your mind which ridiculous insult you're going to use and stick with it! And if you choose to call him a Muslim, and mean it as an insult, then I pity you. So what if there are 2000 mosques in America, there are God knows how many churches and we're all entitled to religious freedom, THE single-most important principle upon which America was built.
And the very fact that anyone would question the billions of dollars in federal aid to African countries based on a difference of nations' dominant religious beliefs is quite possibly one of the most inhumane, and certainly one of the most unChristian, acts I can think of. I challenge each and every one of you to leave your nice, insulated little bubble-world of cultural closedmindedness and go to Africa, or some other impoverished country, and spend time serving a community that is in desperate need of any and every resource imaginable. These people don't need God, they need food and running water. They need shelter and security. They need employment and infrastructure. They need a world free from discrimination and inequality and fear. Only then will thoughts of religion become important in their world, and only then should it even be considered as an issue on which to base conditions for humanitarian aid.
There is a reason why people voted for Barack Obama this week, and it had nothing to do with religion or race or fear, but rather hope and inspiration. Why are we even bickering over whether or not Muslim-Americans, or anyone really, should have an equal place in our great society when we both profess to support the very same Constitution? Because these politics of the past that isolate and exploit a common "enemy" at the expense of select citizens' rights unfortunately find listeners in those people with their heads still shoved in the sand."
I'd love to hear any thoughts or questions regarding my post! Send them to drew_keaster@hotmail.com or leave a comment on the blog.
Cheers!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Melissa: It's Been Awhile....
I had such illusions about this blog at the beginning. Having never managed to keep a diary, I was convinced this would be an easier way to record my feelings and experiences on a regular basis. Here's the thing about illusions: they are usually erroneous, as this one proved to be. I have not written on this blog for a month and, while I have kept my family and close friends up to date, I must apologize to those who do not have regular contact with me except through this blog. With that said, let me recap some highlights from the past month.
The week after Spring Break I spent the majority of my time studying for a history test. Having taken pages and pages of notes, I read and summarized and outlined and drank a lot of tea in the process. It all paid off the next Monday when I came out of the three-hour test feeling confident about my essays on African colonization.
The next weekend Josh, Drew, and I headed off to Auntie Vivian's house again. This time we cooked Mexican food for 8 of our friends. Here's a funny story...That Saturday I was watching drama scenes until 1:00 when Josh and I were supposed to meet at Pick 'N Pay (our grocery store of choice). I show up on time and he is not there so I wait outside for awhile before searching inside the store and then waiting outside the store (but inside the complex the store is in) until about 1:30. Josh doesn't have his phone on him, so I assume something came up and he can't make it; I begin shopping for all the food we need to feed 11 people. I finish shopping at around 2:30 and carry the baie heavy bags all the way back to Concordia. Josh comes in about 10 minutes later with his bags of food. Apparently he thought my theatre scenes weren't going to be done on time, so he showed up at around 1:20, didn't really look inside and just waited outside the complex until around 1:45 when he gave up on me and began shopping. Pick 'N Pay is not all that large. I have no idea how we shopped for a good 45 minutes in the same store and never once saw each other!! It's like those scenes in romantic comedies where the guy and the girl walk right past each other but don't meet. It's funny because when we looked at the food, it was obvious we were circling each other. He got to the yellow peppers first and took all the good ones (I didn't buy any because the rest weren't fresh), while I got to the red peppers before him and stole all the good ones. So yes, we had soooo much food!! We still have some of it left. :) But we spent a wonderful evening at Auntie Vivian's and introduced our friends to fajitas, guacamole and stuffed bell peppers. Needless to say, they are all fans of Mexican food now.
I spent the next week contemplating whether I should stay in South Africa for another semester or not. There is so much I would love to do here and the theatre department is very supportive of my work, so it was tempting. The week was spent calling and emailing countless people both at Missouri State and Stellenbosch as I tried to figure out if it was even possible. After wavering back and forth on an almost daily basis I felt called to come home. I'm going to spend the next semester volunteering with the Springfield Regional Arts Council and hopefully directing a show at either the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club.
The weekend before last, the boys, Jacques, Daniel, Stacey and I hit Bikini Beach at Gordan's Bay. It was small and steep, which meant there were no noisy kids running around. The vast majority of beachgoers were between the ages of 18-30 and very respectful. We alternated between laying out in the warm sun and venturing into the cold water. The ocean was actually quite pleasant once you got up the courage to submerge yourself! It was just those first few minutes of actually getting in that was hard! Entering and exiting the water was also a bit dangerous because the fierce waves brought rocks that pelted you when the waves crashed. All of us ended up with cuts and bruises on our feet; Drew got hit with a pretty big rock and limped for a day or two afterwards. Despite our minor injuries, we all plan to go back to the beach soon.
I've spent a lot of my time working with Theatre in Action. As mentioned before, I am working with about 16 students aged 14-18 from Kayamandi High. Of the four of us from Stellenbosch, I am the most consistent about attending rehearsals (I've only missed one because I was writting the test) and have the most authority, though until about a few weeks ago that authority was minimal. When I tried to speak it was often difficult to get the kids to quiet down and listen. Two men in the group had much more authority than I did; I call them "men" even though they are only 17 or 18 because they have "been to the mountain" and are now considered men in the community. It is a tradition in Xhosa communities that fathers and uncles take a boy up into the mountains when they reach a certain age and spend several days teaching them to be a man. It's quite secretive and I don't know what all it entails, but I know that not everyone comes back from the mountain. The ritual has gotten safer over the years (it's actually been deemed dangerous and illegal by the government, but that doesn't stop it from continuing) and it is not mandatory to participate. The dwindling number of participants means that those who do go to the mountain are regarded highly. Flabba and Langa, the two men in Theatre in Action, are distinguisable by their jackets and hats that mark them as men. When they speak, everyone listens. Another person that has respect in the group is Bongi, a professional actor/dancer who recently moved into Kayamandi to be near his mother. Bongi has become the "director" in the group, using his authority as an adult, black, Xhosa-speaking male to get results that I could not. He can quiet the students with a snap--a trick I'd like to learn!--and is not afraid to be the "bad guy" to get results. It has been Bongi respecting my opinion and direction and telling the students, "She doesn't have to be here. She's trying to work with you so if you really want to become actors you should shut up, be professional and listen to her," that has resulted in my increased authority lately. I no longer have to fight for silence and as a result, rehearsals are much more efficient. It is still a highly collaborative effort, but the increased focus and respect means people can share their ideas more easily and quickly.
After finalizing the script, we began blocking and rehearsing. Our sets are minimal--a table, a few chairs, a few blocks--and there are few props or costumes, which made rehearsing easy. We did have some difficulty because our performance venue kept being changed. Initially, we were going to perform in the HB Thom Theatre in Stellenbosch, so we blocked the play assuming there was wingspace. However, we got booted out of the theatre due to Cabaret being performed. We were then going to perform in the theatre's foyer, where a small stage has been set up. However, there is no wingspace stage left, so we reblocked the show so everyone entered and exited stage right. That's complicated! Then we got word that we could not use the foyer and would have to perform in a classroom. So we reblocked the show again because it was silly to have everyone entering and exiting from the same side. We borrowed flats to create a kind of backstage and just hoped that it would work. And it did. We performed about half the play for Stellenbosch University acting students last Friday. (I was backstage making sure everyone knew which side they entered on and had their correct props.) We could not finish the performance because the kids had to be back in Kayamandi by a certain time to leave for an academic camp. I think I've told the story of how the play ends about 30 times; everyone in the audience enjoyed it and wanted to know what happened next! This Saturday we perform the whole show in Kayamandi, which should be really exciting.
Friday night Josh, Drew and I went with our friends, Harrie and Ivan, to Cape Town to see a play at Artscape called "Dalliances." Part of the Artscape New Writing Programme in 2007, it is a current view of young Cape Townians, love, the absence of love, friendship, and HIV. We all enjoyed it--I especially appreciated the innovative set and recurring use of the color yellow in the set, props, costumes, etc. After the play we danced the night away and then spent most of the weekend sleeping.
Today, Josh and Drew had their Xhosa final and all three of us took a mock Afrikaans oral exam. The real exam is next Wednesday. This is the last week of classes for me; how crazy is that?! I need to finish one more paper, but then all I have left is studying for finals. Afrikaans and Acting finals next week, History the week after, and my two Theatre classes the week after that. I'm used to taking at least one final every day for a week and find it interesting that exams are so spread out here. It's nice to have time to study, though, as finals are worth about 60% of the class mark.
Though the next weeks will be busy as we attempt to do everything and hang out with everyone before leaving Stellenbosch in mid-November to travel, I will attempt to do a better job about keeping up with this blog.
Much love and God bless,
Melissa
The week after Spring Break I spent the majority of my time studying for a history test. Having taken pages and pages of notes, I read and summarized and outlined and drank a lot of tea in the process. It all paid off the next Monday when I came out of the three-hour test feeling confident about my essays on African colonization.
The next weekend Josh, Drew, and I headed off to Auntie Vivian's house again. This time we cooked Mexican food for 8 of our friends. Here's a funny story...That Saturday I was watching drama scenes until 1:00 when Josh and I were supposed to meet at Pick 'N Pay (our grocery store of choice). I show up on time and he is not there so I wait outside for awhile before searching inside the store and then waiting outside the store (but inside the complex the store is in) until about 1:30. Josh doesn't have his phone on him, so I assume something came up and he can't make it; I begin shopping for all the food we need to feed 11 people. I finish shopping at around 2:30 and carry the baie heavy bags all the way back to Concordia. Josh comes in about 10 minutes later with his bags of food. Apparently he thought my theatre scenes weren't going to be done on time, so he showed up at around 1:20, didn't really look inside and just waited outside the complex until around 1:45 when he gave up on me and began shopping. Pick 'N Pay is not all that large. I have no idea how we shopped for a good 45 minutes in the same store and never once saw each other!! It's like those scenes in romantic comedies where the guy and the girl walk right past each other but don't meet. It's funny because when we looked at the food, it was obvious we were circling each other. He got to the yellow peppers first and took all the good ones (I didn't buy any because the rest weren't fresh), while I got to the red peppers before him and stole all the good ones. So yes, we had soooo much food!! We still have some of it left. :) But we spent a wonderful evening at Auntie Vivian's and introduced our friends to fajitas, guacamole and stuffed bell peppers. Needless to say, they are all fans of Mexican food now.
I spent the next week contemplating whether I should stay in South Africa for another semester or not. There is so much I would love to do here and the theatre department is very supportive of my work, so it was tempting. The week was spent calling and emailing countless people both at Missouri State and Stellenbosch as I tried to figure out if it was even possible. After wavering back and forth on an almost daily basis I felt called to come home. I'm going to spend the next semester volunteering with the Springfield Regional Arts Council and hopefully directing a show at either the YMCA or Boys and Girls Club.
The weekend before last, the boys, Jacques, Daniel, Stacey and I hit Bikini Beach at Gordan's Bay. It was small and steep, which meant there were no noisy kids running around. The vast majority of beachgoers were between the ages of 18-30 and very respectful. We alternated between laying out in the warm sun and venturing into the cold water. The ocean was actually quite pleasant once you got up the courage to submerge yourself! It was just those first few minutes of actually getting in that was hard! Entering and exiting the water was also a bit dangerous because the fierce waves brought rocks that pelted you when the waves crashed. All of us ended up with cuts and bruises on our feet; Drew got hit with a pretty big rock and limped for a day or two afterwards. Despite our minor injuries, we all plan to go back to the beach soon.
I've spent a lot of my time working with Theatre in Action. As mentioned before, I am working with about 16 students aged 14-18 from Kayamandi High. Of the four of us from Stellenbosch, I am the most consistent about attending rehearsals (I've only missed one because I was writting the test) and have the most authority, though until about a few weeks ago that authority was minimal. When I tried to speak it was often difficult to get the kids to quiet down and listen. Two men in the group had much more authority than I did; I call them "men" even though they are only 17 or 18 because they have "been to the mountain" and are now considered men in the community. It is a tradition in Xhosa communities that fathers and uncles take a boy up into the mountains when they reach a certain age and spend several days teaching them to be a man. It's quite secretive and I don't know what all it entails, but I know that not everyone comes back from the mountain. The ritual has gotten safer over the years (it's actually been deemed dangerous and illegal by the government, but that doesn't stop it from continuing) and it is not mandatory to participate. The dwindling number of participants means that those who do go to the mountain are regarded highly. Flabba and Langa, the two men in Theatre in Action, are distinguisable by their jackets and hats that mark them as men. When they speak, everyone listens. Another person that has respect in the group is Bongi, a professional actor/dancer who recently moved into Kayamandi to be near his mother. Bongi has become the "director" in the group, using his authority as an adult, black, Xhosa-speaking male to get results that I could not. He can quiet the students with a snap--a trick I'd like to learn!--and is not afraid to be the "bad guy" to get results. It has been Bongi respecting my opinion and direction and telling the students, "She doesn't have to be here. She's trying to work with you so if you really want to become actors you should shut up, be professional and listen to her," that has resulted in my increased authority lately. I no longer have to fight for silence and as a result, rehearsals are much more efficient. It is still a highly collaborative effort, but the increased focus and respect means people can share their ideas more easily and quickly.
After finalizing the script, we began blocking and rehearsing. Our sets are minimal--a table, a few chairs, a few blocks--and there are few props or costumes, which made rehearsing easy. We did have some difficulty because our performance venue kept being changed. Initially, we were going to perform in the HB Thom Theatre in Stellenbosch, so we blocked the play assuming there was wingspace. However, we got booted out of the theatre due to Cabaret being performed. We were then going to perform in the theatre's foyer, where a small stage has been set up. However, there is no wingspace stage left, so we reblocked the show so everyone entered and exited stage right. That's complicated! Then we got word that we could not use the foyer and would have to perform in a classroom. So we reblocked the show again because it was silly to have everyone entering and exiting from the same side. We borrowed flats to create a kind of backstage and just hoped that it would work. And it did. We performed about half the play for Stellenbosch University acting students last Friday. (I was backstage making sure everyone knew which side they entered on and had their correct props.) We could not finish the performance because the kids had to be back in Kayamandi by a certain time to leave for an academic camp. I think I've told the story of how the play ends about 30 times; everyone in the audience enjoyed it and wanted to know what happened next! This Saturday we perform the whole show in Kayamandi, which should be really exciting.
Friday night Josh, Drew and I went with our friends, Harrie and Ivan, to Cape Town to see a play at Artscape called "Dalliances." Part of the Artscape New Writing Programme in 2007, it is a current view of young Cape Townians, love, the absence of love, friendship, and HIV. We all enjoyed it--I especially appreciated the innovative set and recurring use of the color yellow in the set, props, costumes, etc. After the play we danced the night away and then spent most of the weekend sleeping.
Today, Josh and Drew had their Xhosa final and all three of us took a mock Afrikaans oral exam. The real exam is next Wednesday. This is the last week of classes for me; how crazy is that?! I need to finish one more paper, but then all I have left is studying for finals. Afrikaans and Acting finals next week, History the week after, and my two Theatre classes the week after that. I'm used to taking at least one final every day for a week and find it interesting that exams are so spread out here. It's nice to have time to study, though, as finals are worth about 60% of the class mark.
Though the next weeks will be busy as we attempt to do everything and hang out with everyone before leaving Stellenbosch in mid-November to travel, I will attempt to do a better job about keeping up with this blog.
Much love and God bless,
Melissa
Friday, October 10, 2008
Drew: We Conquered Table Mountain
Yep, we sure did! I should have posted these pictures much sooner, but better late than never. It wasn't a grueling hike, but it took about 90 minutes of a steady, intense pace to scale over 600 meters. It was well worth it even though we were all incredibly sore for several days to come :)
School is beginning to wind down, so we've all been working on essays, research papers, tests, and presentations. And while next week is no different (probably the busiest of the year for me, actually), we're rewarding ourselves by taking a 2 day beach vacation. We'll take the train to the coast tomorrow morning and relax in the town of Strand (Afrikaans for beach), followed by a braai at one of Melissa's theater-friend's house, followed by another day at Bikini Beach in the neighboring town of Gordonsbaai (Gordon's Bay).
School is beginning to wind down, so we've all been working on essays, research papers, tests, and presentations. And while next week is no different (probably the busiest of the year for me, actually), we're rewarding ourselves by taking a 2 day beach vacation. We'll take the train to the coast tomorrow morning and relax in the town of Strand (Afrikaans for beach), followed by a braai at one of Melissa's theater-friend's house, followed by another day at Bikini Beach in the neighboring town of Gordonsbaai (Gordon's Bay).
Friday, October 3, 2008
Joshua: A Public Service Announcement
The following reflects the views of Andrew Keaster, Joshua Snowden, and Melissa Fagan. No South African wild animals were harmed in the production of this PSA...
...
...
GO OBAMA!!!
We're submitting our absentee ballots all the way from Stellenbosch, South Africa; and if we can vote from 8000+ miles a way, you can and should, too! Even if you vote for McCain and Palin, the important thing is that you as an American take advantage of the universal suffrage with which we are blessed. Go to the polls on November 4th and let your voice be heard! (If you're living in Missouri, remember that this year's election is crucial. The state could tilt either way this November, so make sure that your vote is represented.)
...
...
GO OBAMA!!!
We're submitting our absentee ballots all the way from Stellenbosch, South Africa; and if we can vote from 8000+ miles a way, you can and should, too! Even if you vote for McCain and Palin, the important thing is that you as an American take advantage of the universal suffrage with which we are blessed. Go to the polls on November 4th and let your voice be heard! (If you're living in Missouri, remember that this year's election is crucial. The state could tilt either way this November, so make sure that your vote is represented.)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Drew: A typical week in South Africa...
So it seems like a lot is happening all around me.
Last Friday night, I went to my first official rugby game. It puts American football to shame. Sorry, I know this might upset all you guys who value manliness and express that through a keen interest in and love of football, but when compared next to rugby, our shoulderpadded athletes looks like a bunch of school kids on a cold day trying to do ballet after being wrapped up in much-too-large winter coats.
Dance Bearathon was a huge success, raising over $20,000 this year! Congratulations to Blake and all my other friends who took over in the wake of Josh's and my absence.
On Tuesdays, I usually volunteer at the AIDS clinic from 8:30 to 1:00, but on the way there, the driver asked if he could pick my partner and I up early because he had to be somewhere at 1:00. "Of course! No problem. Where are you going?" He responds casually with something about attending a lecture by Desmond Tutu. The Most Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu! As it turns out, I ended up getting to go, too. When was the last time you heard a Nobel Peace Prize winning apartheid fighter who has since served as the nation's moral conscience?
In other news, South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, resigned earlier this week after serving for 10 years as Nelson Mandela's successor. The African National Congress appointed their party's deputy leader as the interim head of state until next year's elections. Maybe this guy should just stay in power, though... After all, he just fired Dr. Beetroot and South Africa can now attempt to make progress on its HIV/AIDS epidemic. Now we just need a bit more funding at the HIV clinic...
I wish I could watch the first presidential debate. Of all the things I thought I wouldn't miss, my first presidential election ranks pretty high on the list. As long as I get an absentee ballot in the mail, though, at least I'll be upholding my civic duty.
Wednesday was a public holiday in South Africa. After slacking for the past few weeks, we determined that Wednesday would be spent in the computer lab working on soon-to-be-due papers. And other than a brief break to a late lunch and go to the gym, we did just that. On our return trip to our residence at about 9:00PM, Josh and I were discussing something as a strange-looking man walked by. It was in a dimly lit area, and upon hearing our accents he immediately turned around and started following us. Pretty closely, too. We upped our pace to a near jog, but still he seemed to be following a few meters behind. At this point, we detoured toward McDonald's, the nearest public place we could find. This man actually followed us in, and suspiciously stood in line to order food. When it got his turn, he indeed ordered something and Josh and I made good use of this window of opportunity and left without him noticing. We're both convinced that we narrowly avoided getting mugged. Oh, and the guy was white, just FYI.
Josh and I rode the train in to Cape Town today, much against the recommendations of pretty much everyone we know. Apparently, white people who ride the train get mugged. To this, I say, "If you ride 1st class where the only other person in the car is your attacker, then DUH!" We rode economy class for R7, or less than $1, each way, and spent 75 minutes riding each way with South Africa's working class. Were we apprehensive because of all the negative things we've heard about the train? Yes. Were we scared? No. It's justifiable to watch your back in a potentially dangerous situation, but I think it's racist for Stellenbosch's white community to avoid the train out of their trumped up fear of the Coloured and Black communities.
Last Friday night, I went to my first official rugby game. It puts American football to shame. Sorry, I know this might upset all you guys who value manliness and express that through a keen interest in and love of football, but when compared next to rugby, our shoulderpadded athletes looks like a bunch of school kids on a cold day trying to do ballet after being wrapped up in much-too-large winter coats.
Dance Bearathon was a huge success, raising over $20,000 this year! Congratulations to Blake and all my other friends who took over in the wake of Josh's and my absence.
On Tuesdays, I usually volunteer at the AIDS clinic from 8:30 to 1:00, but on the way there, the driver asked if he could pick my partner and I up early because he had to be somewhere at 1:00. "Of course! No problem. Where are you going?" He responds casually with something about attending a lecture by Desmond Tutu. The Most Reverend Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu! As it turns out, I ended up getting to go, too. When was the last time you heard a Nobel Peace Prize winning apartheid fighter who has since served as the nation's moral conscience?
In other news, South Africa's president, Thabo Mbeki, resigned earlier this week after serving for 10 years as Nelson Mandela's successor. The African National Congress appointed their party's deputy leader as the interim head of state until next year's elections. Maybe this guy should just stay in power, though... After all, he just fired Dr. Beetroot and South Africa can now attempt to make progress on its HIV/AIDS epidemic. Now we just need a bit more funding at the HIV clinic...
I wish I could watch the first presidential debate. Of all the things I thought I wouldn't miss, my first presidential election ranks pretty high on the list. As long as I get an absentee ballot in the mail, though, at least I'll be upholding my civic duty.
Wednesday was a public holiday in South Africa. After slacking for the past few weeks, we determined that Wednesday would be spent in the computer lab working on soon-to-be-due papers. And other than a brief break to a late lunch and go to the gym, we did just that. On our return trip to our residence at about 9:00PM, Josh and I were discussing something as a strange-looking man walked by. It was in a dimly lit area, and upon hearing our accents he immediately turned around and started following us. Pretty closely, too. We upped our pace to a near jog, but still he seemed to be following a few meters behind. At this point, we detoured toward McDonald's, the nearest public place we could find. This man actually followed us in, and suspiciously stood in line to order food. When it got his turn, he indeed ordered something and Josh and I made good use of this window of opportunity and left without him noticing. We're both convinced that we narrowly avoided getting mugged. Oh, and the guy was white, just FYI.
Josh and I rode the train in to Cape Town today, much against the recommendations of pretty much everyone we know. Apparently, white people who ride the train get mugged. To this, I say, "If you ride 1st class where the only other person in the car is your attacker, then DUH!" We rode economy class for R7, or less than $1, each way, and spent 75 minutes riding each way with South Africa's working class. Were we apprehensive because of all the negative things we've heard about the train? Yes. Were we scared? No. It's justifiable to watch your back in a potentially dangerous situation, but I think it's racist for Stellenbosch's white community to avoid the train out of their trumped up fear of the Coloured and Black communities.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Drew: South African Spring Break - The Garden Route complete with Safari and Bungee Jumping!
So, after a week of getting oriented in South Africa, and 7 consecutive weeks of classes, we began our Spring Break on Friday, September 5. The following 10 days were crammed full of excitement, and that week was probably the most adventurous, most hardcore, and craziest one of my life!!! We relaxed all Saturday in preparation of the upcoming adventure tour, leaving the room only to watch Mamma Mia in the local theater (everyone should watch/rent it because it is a fantastic musical-turned-movie) and eat a picnic supper in the middle of town. The next morning, Josh and I embarked upon a guided trip that lasted a full week, from Sunday morning to Saturday evening, and each day would consist of a bit of driving, several activities, and then overnight at backpacker's lodges.
Sunday – After a gorgeous scenic drive along the coast, the group stopped in Hermanus for whale-watching during lunch (we saw huge whales breach several times). Continuing in the day, we had 5 rounds at Birkenhead, a South African brewery, and then drove to the southernmost tip of Africa on Cape Agulhas where we played in two oceans simultaneously...because it's where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet! That evening, we were served ostrich meatloaf for supper. Stick with beef, just trust me on this one!
Monday - More scenic driving (actually, all driving would be considered “scenic” because the Garden Route is basically one large tourist attraction that stretches for hundreds of kilometers) before stopping at a funny roadside bar called Ronnie’s Sex Shop. In Afrikaans, the original name was Ronnie Se Shop, which means Ronnie’s Shop, but one night after several drinks, he and his friends added the additional “x” to the name and thus the present day, random tourist attraction… We all had a drink on the house (haha, the trip was definitely catered to college students, and as I have definitely acquired a taste for white wines, and sweet ones in particular, I still have no liking for most other alcoholic beverages) and then left underwear hanging from the rafters, a funny tradition growing out of the name. Next, we drove a bit further down the road to eat lunch while basking and relaxing in natural warm water springs. They were kind of dirty, though… Oh well, they felt good! In the afternoon, we went to the Cango wildlife ranch where we saw several bats, birds, fish, warthogs, hippos, mierkats, crocodiles, storks, lemurs, lions, tigers, cheetahs, and all kinds of snakes (puff adders, black mambas, king cobras, Burmese python, boa constrictor, etc.). Supper was Ostrich steak, which was much better than the meatloaf, and some ostrich sausage, which is another one of those things that no type of meat should ever be made into.
Tuesday – For breakfast, of course the meal had some part of an ostrich, but this time it was ostrich egg before going to tour the massive Cango Caves. We didn’t have time to take the adventurous section of the tour, which would have involved us basically wiggling through 18-inch cracks in rocks for about a kilometer. The reason for leaving early, though, was that we next went to an ostrich farm where we each RODE an ostrich, as well as other cool ostrich-related activities. After eating lunch at a jazzy little restaurant, we drove into the Eastern Cape (Think of South Africa as having 9 states, or provinces as they are called here, and the Eastern Cape is next to the Western Cape, which houses Cape Town and Stellenbosch) to the world's highest bungee jump! It was 216 meters tall (2 and a half football fields) and certified by Guiness Records, and I totally volunteered to jump first! And for those of you who might doubt that I actually jumped, that I don't seem like the "risk-taking type," I have several pictures and the DVD they made of it to prove my awesomeness!
Wednesday – We did a 1hr zip-line adventure through Tsitsikama Forest, then spent lunch and afternoon in a touristy town on the beach while several people went shopping. There were several cheap factory outlet stores for surf related stores like Quicksilver, Billabong, Jeep, and Element. That evening, we drove inland toward Addo National Elephant park and stayed overnight on an orange plantation in little African huts. It was so cool!
Thursday - 6 AM safari where we saw WILD elephants, cape buffalo, warthogs, ostriches, kudu, duiker, hartebeast (these last three are deerlike animals), monkeys, jackals, and lions. In fact, the three lions we saw actually walked mere feet from our frozen vehicle and laid in the grass about 8 meters from us (even the tour guide who works in the park was taking pictures)! So out of the big 5, which includes elephants, buffalo, rhinos, lions, and leopards, we saw 3. Not too shabby, I’d say, considering we haven’t yet been to Kruger National Park (we are going there mid-December). We stayed in the park finding animals until 12:30 and then spent the afternoon relaxing at the beach. There always seems to be a beach nearby here in South Africa… Yep, I knew I loved this place!
Friday – We began our drive back toward Cape Town, taking a few different routes so as to hit different attractions. The day’s first stop was at an elephant sanctuary where most of the group went in and walked, fed, and rode elephants. Afterward, we were scheduled to go sea kayaking but due to the windy weather, our afternoon activity was canceled so we just got extra chill time at the beach! Not that any of us were complaining :)
Saturday - We spent most of the day driving back, stopping occasionally at cool places like a scenic mountain pass, an Aloe Factory, and some others before arriving back in Stellenbosch. All in all, I’d say it was a pretty worthwhile trip. You know, I could get used to this whole idea of taking a vacation while on vacation. South Africa = Good choice to spend 6 months!
Oh, and since I’m on the topic of vacations, I would like to take this opportunity to announce the next big undertaking in my life. I have always wanted to learn a foreign language to the point of at least being conversationally competent, but have been unable to do so up to this point. Sure, I can understand a little Spanish (2 years in high school, and Josh speaks it fluently) and some Afrikaans (everyone here speaks it), and I can speak/read/write even more Spanish, Afrikaans, and some isiXhosa, but I would definitely not say that I have anything more than a rudimentary knowledge of each. Because of this, coupled with the amazing experience of studying abroad, Josh and I have decided to spend Spring of 2010 in Qingdao, China, taking a language intensive Mandarin Chinese course for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for about 16 weeks. The Chinese school calendar for the spring begins around March 1 and ends about July 1, meaning that we would have to forego walking at our college graduation. Compared to spending a semester in China, though, that seems like a trade I’d be willing to make!
Sunday – After a gorgeous scenic drive along the coast, the group stopped in Hermanus for whale-watching during lunch (we saw huge whales breach several times). Continuing in the day, we had 5 rounds at Birkenhead, a South African brewery, and then drove to the southernmost tip of Africa on Cape Agulhas where we played in two oceans simultaneously...because it's where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet! That evening, we were served ostrich meatloaf for supper. Stick with beef, just trust me on this one!
Monday - More scenic driving (actually, all driving would be considered “scenic” because the Garden Route is basically one large tourist attraction that stretches for hundreds of kilometers) before stopping at a funny roadside bar called Ronnie’s Sex Shop. In Afrikaans, the original name was Ronnie Se Shop, which means Ronnie’s Shop, but one night after several drinks, he and his friends added the additional “x” to the name and thus the present day, random tourist attraction… We all had a drink on the house (haha, the trip was definitely catered to college students, and as I have definitely acquired a taste for white wines, and sweet ones in particular, I still have no liking for most other alcoholic beverages) and then left underwear hanging from the rafters, a funny tradition growing out of the name. Next, we drove a bit further down the road to eat lunch while basking and relaxing in natural warm water springs. They were kind of dirty, though… Oh well, they felt good! In the afternoon, we went to the Cango wildlife ranch where we saw several bats, birds, fish, warthogs, hippos, mierkats, crocodiles, storks, lemurs, lions, tigers, cheetahs, and all kinds of snakes (puff adders, black mambas, king cobras, Burmese python, boa constrictor, etc.). Supper was Ostrich steak, which was much better than the meatloaf, and some ostrich sausage, which is another one of those things that no type of meat should ever be made into.
Tuesday – For breakfast, of course the meal had some part of an ostrich, but this time it was ostrich egg before going to tour the massive Cango Caves. We didn’t have time to take the adventurous section of the tour, which would have involved us basically wiggling through 18-inch cracks in rocks for about a kilometer. The reason for leaving early, though, was that we next went to an ostrich farm where we each RODE an ostrich, as well as other cool ostrich-related activities. After eating lunch at a jazzy little restaurant, we drove into the Eastern Cape (Think of South Africa as having 9 states, or provinces as they are called here, and the Eastern Cape is next to the Western Cape, which houses Cape Town and Stellenbosch) to the world's highest bungee jump! It was 216 meters tall (2 and a half football fields) and certified by Guiness Records, and I totally volunteered to jump first! And for those of you who might doubt that I actually jumped, that I don't seem like the "risk-taking type," I have several pictures and the DVD they made of it to prove my awesomeness!
Wednesday – We did a 1hr zip-line adventure through Tsitsikama Forest, then spent lunch and afternoon in a touristy town on the beach while several people went shopping. There were several cheap factory outlet stores for surf related stores like Quicksilver, Billabong, Jeep, and Element. That evening, we drove inland toward Addo National Elephant park and stayed overnight on an orange plantation in little African huts. It was so cool!
Thursday - 6 AM safari where we saw WILD elephants, cape buffalo, warthogs, ostriches, kudu, duiker, hartebeast (these last three are deerlike animals), monkeys, jackals, and lions. In fact, the three lions we saw actually walked mere feet from our frozen vehicle and laid in the grass about 8 meters from us (even the tour guide who works in the park was taking pictures)! So out of the big 5, which includes elephants, buffalo, rhinos, lions, and leopards, we saw 3. Not too shabby, I’d say, considering we haven’t yet been to Kruger National Park (we are going there mid-December). We stayed in the park finding animals until 12:30 and then spent the afternoon relaxing at the beach. There always seems to be a beach nearby here in South Africa… Yep, I knew I loved this place!
Friday – We began our drive back toward Cape Town, taking a few different routes so as to hit different attractions. The day’s first stop was at an elephant sanctuary where most of the group went in and walked, fed, and rode elephants. Afterward, we were scheduled to go sea kayaking but due to the windy weather, our afternoon activity was canceled so we just got extra chill time at the beach! Not that any of us were complaining :)
Saturday - We spent most of the day driving back, stopping occasionally at cool places like a scenic mountain pass, an Aloe Factory, and some others before arriving back in Stellenbosch. All in all, I’d say it was a pretty worthwhile trip. You know, I could get used to this whole idea of taking a vacation while on vacation. South Africa = Good choice to spend 6 months!
Oh, and since I’m on the topic of vacations, I would like to take this opportunity to announce the next big undertaking in my life. I have always wanted to learn a foreign language to the point of at least being conversationally competent, but have been unable to do so up to this point. Sure, I can understand a little Spanish (2 years in high school, and Josh speaks it fluently) and some Afrikaans (everyone here speaks it), and I can speak/read/write even more Spanish, Afrikaans, and some isiXhosa, but I would definitely not say that I have anything more than a rudimentary knowledge of each. Because of this, coupled with the amazing experience of studying abroad, Josh and I have decided to spend Spring of 2010 in Qingdao, China, taking a language intensive Mandarin Chinese course for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for about 16 weeks. The Chinese school calendar for the spring begins around March 1 and ends about July 1, meaning that we would have to forego walking at our college graduation. Compared to spending a semester in China, though, that seems like a trade I’d be willing to make!
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