The Traveling School

 

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October 19, 2009

 

Dear TTS Family,

Greetings from Namibia!  I hope this letter finds all of you well.  I hear the first snow has already fallen in Montana and I imagine most of you are feeling the chill of fall in these early days of October. 

Here in the savannah of central Namibia it is hot.  Baking, dry, dusty, desert hot, the kind that sends us running for any bit of shade we can find and makes the occasional cold drink a real treat.  In the last week or 10 days, however, we have had the enormous pleasure of experiencing the first rains of spring.  In a region where no precipitation falls for nearly 6 months, there is a momentous feel to the coming of the rains.

While in Zambia, one of our guides had explained to us that the trees could sense the arrival of the rains and begin to bud in anticipation.  Throughout our first month we saw orange flame trees, lavender-colored jacaranda, pink bougainvillea, and a few green leaves that seemed to defy the baking heat, dry red brown dirt and bare limbs of other shrubs and trees.  It seemed like a bold maneuver as we sweated our way through most of September. The trees’ intuition proved trustworthy however, and we felt the first drops of rain while we were on the Okavango Delta.  We had our first thunderstorm in Etosha and have had almost daily rains since then.

I am writing to you from the Cheetah View Farmhouse, a cluster of buildings set on a beautiful corner of the huge piece of land owned and managed by the Cheetah Conservation Fund here in Namibia.  We are spending two days and three nights with CCF learning an incredible amount about cheetahs and CCF’s efforts to ensure the survival of this graceful creature.  This is the first time we have slept inside since we left Washington, D.C. and the girls say it’s both weird and great.  It is actually really nice to have a short break from camp life, especially when it’s raining.  The setting is gorgeous and we have it all to ourselves so it’s (relatively) quiet and peaceful.  To the south we can see the Waterberg Plateau above the savannah, a rare break in the wide flat expanses of semi-desert we have been traveling through for most of our trip. This evening the full moon is rising, the sun is setting, and the sky has turned a hundred shades of pink, orange, purple and blue.  We are indeed a lucky crew.

-- Whitney

 

 

Chobe National Park (Shannon)

The ladies of TTS 14 made some unforgettable memories throughout our 4-day Chobe extravaganza in Botswana.  The ladies were off to an impressive start with the animals they attracted to our first early morning safari.  Their hair danced in the wind with cameras ready, binoculars in focus and their science journals eager to be filled with sightings as passengers on the open safari truck.  It was only after one hour when our little truck nudged itself onto the side of a hill where two lions were eating a recently deceased elephant about 20 yards away from us.  The magnificence of witnessing such a rare event masked the otherwise grotesque aspects of this particular sighting.  As if this wasn’t exciting enough, throughout the rest of our morning safari adventure we saw two more lionesses relaxing in the shade no more than 5 yards away, hippos out of the water, Cape buffalo, kudu, and many others that have been abundantly documented in the girls’ science journals.

After the early morning safari, and a few class hours, the girls were off to another safari adventure only this time it was for an evening sunset cruise on the Chobe River just outside our campsite.  As the sun settled itself along the horizon, a herd of over 50 elephants came to bathe themselves along the riverbank.  The girls giggled and pointed with admiration as they watched the baby elephants struggle to use neophyte trunks to drink the water like their elders.

Once the cruise had come to an end, the ladies happily shuffled themselves off the boat and back to land where the first of 13 group members fell victim to the tainted drinking water of what we later learned to be the entire town outside of Chobe.  Although the circumstances were less than ideal, the girls held incredibly high spirits as they made a seemingly endless amount of trips to and from the bathroom.  The amazing spirit of the group shone through with their ability to laugh at what would later be called “Chobe Chuck Fest 2009.”

 

The Salt Pan and Planet Baobab (Whitney)

Slowly recovering from the “Chobe Chuck Fest,” the tired crew made a brave push to pack up camp and head to our next destination, Planet Baobab.  Departing to a new location felt like a good fresh start and the group was excited about our plans for the coming days – classes among giant baobabs, a visit to the meercats, and an overnight trip onto the Salt Pan.  As we rolled into camp on a scorching Sunday afternoon, spirits were surprisingly high.  Surrounded by enormous trees, shady covered areas offered lovely relief from the heat and great places for class and study time in the afternoon.  Rising three and four stories high out of the dry sandy soil, the baobabs are a miracle.  It is said that every meter in circumference is a 100 years in age, and by that gauge many of these trees are 3, 4 and 5,000 years old. It’s a “mindblow,” as the girls have started to call the moving, surprising or unbelievable events, ideas, and discussions that come as part of our daily life here, but that “blow the mind” on a variety of levels.  Commonly referred to as trees, the baobabs are actually giant succulents like aloe or cactus.

 

Class at Planet Baobab the following day finished just after midday to get ready for our trip that afternoon out to the Salt Pan.  Leaving camp behind, we set out in two open, covered safari trucks for a two to three hour journey.  Arriving at a point that looked no different than any other on our drive, the trucks pulled over close to a tiny hill in the savannah and instructed us to hop out.  Looked around to see why we had stopped, then suddenly we saw them.  Small figures, standing at attention atop the hill, the meercats were like mini-sentinels guarding their family and dirt fortress home against possible predators.  We were escorted over to them by a guide who is their constant companion; sleeping nearby he arrives at their den before dawn and stays until after dark, training them to accept the human presence and not perceive us as dangerous. 

 

From the guides, we learned that the meercats are very cooperative, living in extended family groups and all sharing in the upbringing of the group’s offspring.  Standing high on their hind legs with their tiny heads and eyes moving constantly, the adult meercats take turns on watch and call out warnings if a threat is perceived.  Once accustomed to our presence, the meercats scampered among us going about the business of the their day: the adults collecting the main food for the clan and the young making short forays into the bush looking for insect snacks.  

 

Although we were reluctant to leave, we were forced by time to head for camp so as to arrive while it was still light.  As we drove on we all found ourselves leaning forward searching the horizon to the east for some sign of this elusive yet supposedly vast salt pan.  None of us could see where the savannah was going to end, but suddenly we saw a subtle but definitive change in the smell and feel of the air and reaching the top of a small rise, there it was!  The living, growing world came to an abrupt halt and in its place for as far as we could see, nothing but flat, white emptiness - a massive inland lake, once the size of Switzerland, dried into a great salt pan 50 million years ago. 

We stopped on the edge of the Pan to watch the giant red orb of African sun set behind a perfect acacia tree (I know I’m going to ramble into the poetic realm here, but you’ll have to bear with me, the experience somehow demands it).  Sunset was our regular daily pause for awe, and three weeks into the trip it still amazed each of us.  We wondered how to capture it with our cameras, how the light could be so different here, and how we would describe it to everyone at home. 

 

In the slow fade of daylight we drove several miles out onto the pan.  With no animals or bugs to worry about we were free to sleep under the stars, and we set up our mattresses in a circle, feet towards the middle.  The guides started a fire and set up chairs around it; but we had something in mind for the girls before we settled into an evening of campfire chatter.  As the final glow lingered along the horizon we joined hands in a circle.  Dropping hands we turned to face outward and then each walked in a straight line out away from the group into the pan, far enough for the quiet sounds of camp to fade, and far enough to experience complete and utter silence as nightfall crept over the pan. Quiet solo time can be hard to find at TTS and the opportunity for total silence seems rare in our world as a whole. As the stars came out they appeared to flicker nearly down to the edge of the pan and for those minutes it felt like our whole world was silence and sky.  Each of us had our own experience, but it seemed universally powerful, and difficult to put into words.

Later that night we climbed happily into our special Salt Pan bed rolls – deluxe rollable mattresses with sheets, comforters, and yes, a real pillow, bundled beneath a canvas cover made to keep out the wind.  We wondered if other Salt Pan guests would feel like they were roughing it out here; for us it was absolute luxury. 

 

As daylight slowly spread through the cold quiet of the following morning, girls rose from their cocoon beds and wandered out to their own little piece of solitude to watch the sun return.  When the thin blazing line of orange appeared on edge of our flat world of sand, it was once again an occasion for awe.

 

The Okavango Delta (Shannon)

With only their daypacks, tents, and smiles lined with excitement, the group set off once again into another one of Botswana’s most treasured geographical miracles, the Okavango Delta.  The Delta was created when a tectonic shift caused one plate to rise relative to the one next to it.  The river heading towards the ocean began to spread horizontally which from an aerial view looks like a spread of watery fingers through a lush grassland.  This environment also harbors an incredibly unique vegetation and animal life making it an especially exciting TTS classroom.

 

Upon our arrival, the girls split into groups of two and eagerly climbed into their handcrafted dugout canoes which are called “Mokoro” in the local Setswana language.  Each canoe was powered by a man or woman equipped with nothing other than a 10 foot long pole made out of mopani wood.  The ride to our campsite was over two hours long but the girls appreciated the break from their otherwise rigorous academic schedule.  Once we arrived and set up camp, the girls were given the opportunity to try steering, aka “poling”, the mokoro themselves.  While some decided to stay back and study, others seized the opportunity and humbly learned the incredible effort it takes to not only push the mokoro but to keep it going in a straight line as well.

 

Along with the evening came a sunset mokoro ride where we came upon a group of male hippos lounging in the water.  Although we were a safe distance away, there was still a great amount of adrenalin streaming through everyone’s systems.  Upon our return, our guides built us a campfire where an exchange of singing and dancing took place between the guide staff and ourselves.

 

The following morning, the girls woke up to an early science class out on the Delta.  Our guides took us on an hour-long hike where we were easily fascinated by their vast knowledge of the area, which is applicable to no other place in the world.  We all marveled at the wealth of resources provided by the land that is still being put to use today by its inhabitants.     

 

Tsodilo Hills (Chrissie)

On our last day in Maun, Botswana we held a joint Global/History class where we had an engaging, thoughtful discussion about the marginalization and dispossession of the San peoples of Botswana, partly in preparation for our trip the following day to Tsodilo Hills—which the San hold as the “cradle of humanity,” in their mythology and folklore. The Hills contain over 2700 petroglyphic paintings, the first imprinted on the rock over 10,000 years ago. As the San did not have a written language until roughly 1900, the paintings serve as the recorded history of the San people.

 

Early the following morning, we set out from Maun, and by mid-afternoon watched as the flattened, sweeping desert landscape was interrupted by the fabled Hills, jutting dramatically skyward on the horizon. At the entrance gate, we were informed by T, a San woman selling jewelry, that there was a San village only three kilometers away, and she would be willing to escort us there and serve as our interpreter. When we arrived at the village, women and children greeted us, and though T was doing her best to answer our questions and translate them to the elder San women who only spoke Khoi-Khoi, there was an obvious language barrier that hung heavily in the air. In the short time we spent in the village, there seemed to be visible indicators of much of the poverty and marginalization we had discussed the previous day—jutting bones, distended bellies, a scarcity of food, and land undesirable for crop production. After the girls purchased some of the jewelry handcrafted by the women of the village, we headed back to Tsodilo and set up our tarps at the base of the Hills (taking the opportunity to sleep out that night).

 

That afternoon, after giving the girls time to journal about their feelings regarded our visit to the village, we held a de-briefing discussion and grappled and tried to come to terms with themes that only a day before had been intellectual ideas—marginalization, dispossession, destitution—but were now very real and affecting.

 

The next morning, we rose at sunrise and after tea and rusks, ventured along the well-trodden footpath that circumnavigates the Hills, and for two hours explored painting after painting, each one more captivating than the last. By mid-morning, as the sun climbed high overhead, we descended back to our campsite and climbed onto the truck for a day of driving across the border and into Namibia.

 

Etosha National Park (Whitney)

After a couple of long travel days, Etosha National Park was the next stop on our ongoing tour of outrageously cool places, phenomenal wildlife, and exciting activities.  Meaning “Great White Place,” Etosha is one of Namibia’s main tourist draws and a thriving wildlife sanctuary.  An enormous park, it took us two solid half days of driving to make our way from one side to the other, stopping of course to appreciate the variety of animals Japhet and Crispen were able to find for us along the way.  Left to our own spotting capabilities, we would have missed well over half the wildlife we got to see, but luckily we had their trained eyes looking for us too. 

 

Thinking we had already been incredibly lucky with what we had seen in the Delta, in Chobe and our first day in Etosha, on our second day’s drive, we saw a black rhino and two male cheetahs, both exceptionally rare to see in the wild.  Incredible!!  We also saw two more lionesses, a number of ostrich, flamingoes in the distance, jackals, giraffe, zebra, warthog, wildebeest, kudu, gemsbok, steenbok, impala, oryx, secretary birds, and, oh my the list goes on and on; I wish I’d been keeping a science journal too!  

 

The camps in Etosha all have watering holes nearby with fenced off viewing areas so visitors can watch wildlife up close.  It’s a bit of an odd feeling sitting on stone benches watching the animals come and go, but it’s an incredible opportunity to see them so close while still in their wild habitats.  During our days in Etosha class was interrupted a few times by the sudden announcement, “Elephants at the watering hole!” – upon which everyone, teachers included would race to the viewing area to sit smiling and watching these graceful giants in wonder.

 

In addition to the wildlife, two raging nighttime thunderstorms provided the group with extra excitement.  Hunkered down in our tents through incredible winds, crazy lightning, and some serious precipitation, we were able to add a new adventure to our African experience.  The rains had definitively arrived.

 

The Group

Laurel is our fan of motion.  Energetic, efficient and eager for the next adventure, she grows quietly restless (though never complaining) if we stay still too long or linger too many days in one place.  She is has been at the front of the line for tools on both our service projects and she is most impressive with a shovel.  We were all wondering how she acquired her skills until she reminded us how much time she has spent cleaning stalls at her horse’s stable!  Her training was put to good use and the Cheetah Conservation Fund now has a trench dug for their new cheetah cub enclosure due much in part to Laurel’s hard work.

Nicole is our observer and creative inquiring mind.  She finds unique connections between seemingly unrelated things and is continually intriguing us with sometimes quirky, often insightful questions about ourselves and the world around us.  Which do you like better – sand or grass?  What if Adah from Poisonwood Bible were a character in the Bloody Jack series – how would she alter the story?  Aren’t Peace Corps volunteers kind of like the missionaries in Poisonwood Bible?  But aren’t they trying to convert people here to Western ideas and ways of doing things?  And, “Why don’t Namibians come to the US and teach us things just like Peace Corps volunteers come here?”   (Hmmm…)  Nicole adds so much to the group by reminding us there is always another way to see things.

 

Sensitive and inquisitive, Alexa seems to split her time between asking questions about our surroundings and asking people in the group how they’re doing.  Far from being a compulsory courtesy, when Alexa asks you how you’re day has been, you can tell she means for you to really tell her: it’s a lovely reason to pause in the middle of our busy days and a great reminder of what’s important.  Alexa is also eager to know all about where we are or where we’re headed and one round of answers is really just great fuel for the next round of questions!

 

Alexis was dubbed the mother of the group back in Chobe.  She brings a great deal of experience to the group from her prior TTS semester; the girls often seek her insights on various aspects of the trip and are comforted by her thoughts and advice.  She has welcomed her leadership role within the group offering ideas to the teachers, helping to organize the group when necessary, and leading a few morning workouts.  Alexis has also embraced with the greatest gusto her “Game of Life” persona in the Math Applications class.  She makes us all laugh with how naturally she talks about paying for her teenage son’s braces and how much she’s contributing to her kids’ college funds each month!

Kendall is slowly deciding to share with us her thoughts, ideas, and funny, silly sense of humor.  If we are persistent and patient, she will let us in on her perceptions of the San village visit, her opinion on a class assignment, or what she found funny about our last trip to town.  She promises us we’ll get more of the crazy side of Kendall but that will be on her own time for sure, and everyone respects that.  Laughing and talking, or quiet and thoughtful, Kendall adds a great presence to the group.  She brings solid insight to our group discussions and is adding her valuable voice more and more often to the group process.

 

Conscientious and caring, Sarah daily leads us all by example.  She is exceptionally aware of the group as well as the individual wellbeing of its members.  She shows wonderful compassion and was recently recognized in the group for “always being there to help everyone.”  Notebook and pencil always ready, Sarah is also really good at making use of spare moments or unexpected delays to make progress on schoolwork or the numerous college essays she is writing.  Diligent as she is, Sarah never misses the chance to take in what’s going on around her, nor does she hesitate to put down the books in favor of a fun group moment, as when she and Alexis sang and danced for us on the truck to Carolina Girls. 

Allegra is our National Geographic photographer in training.  She is ready at the lens to capture wildlife, great moments in the group, or a unique cultural moment.  Allegra is thoughtful and perceptive, offering reflective insight into difficult questions that arise in class or challenging situations we see in our travels.  Because she does not speak out frequently during group meetings, when she does share her thoughts they carry solid weight and the other girls really listen. Allegra’s mellow manner offers the group calm energy, and she is also not afraid let loose; her voice is a regular on the frequent truck singing sessions. 

Morgan seems to be happily finding a balance between quiet observation and outgoing participation with the groups and individuals we encounter.  She paved the way in talking with and getting to know our guides on the Delta and even led the whole combined group (TTS and the guides) in learning a new song and singing together.  She is gradually sharing with us on a more daily basis her love of music.  Traveling in Southern Africa seems to have opened up a new place in Morgan and, as with many of the girls, the people in particular have touched her a great deal.

 

In the first group of girls to dance in Sinazongwe, always a strong voice when we sing for our guides, and the first student to learn the ritual Shona morning greetings, Mariel does a great job of reaching out to the people we meet in our travels.  Alongside her bubbly outward persona, Mariel has a quiet, contemplative side and she often brings keen insight and observation to class discussions and group interactions.  She has also recently spearheaded the Warm Fuzzies Project where everyone in the group has an envelope into which other group members can put positive thoughts and affirmations.  We each get our envelopes to take home at the end of the semester – a paper bundle of warm fuzzy thoughts from our TTS community.

 

If Alice’s first few days at TTS fooled us into thinking she was only ever quiet and shy (Alice herself jokes that she didn’t speak a word in the first 24 hours), we have now been thoroughly re-educated.  Luckily for us, it didn’t take too long for Alice to open up and start sharing with us her stories and humor.  Although she is our youngest student, she shows a mental toughness and work ethic beyond her years.  Alice is kind to those around her, always polite, and, most impressively, not afraid to laugh at herself.

 

Although Phoebe was already a seasoned traveler when she came to TTS, she still brings a great sense of wonder to our experience in Southern Africa.  Phoebe also carries broad feeling of compassion for the people we meet and the situations we see, which has her constantly scheming about ways she might contribute to the communities we’ve traveled in or help resolve the variety of issues we’ve seen.  Phoebe is finding ample material from our travels to feed her passion for writing and she approaches her Literature and Journalism projects with enthusiasm.

 

Determined to appreciate every moment of this semester, Amsara is a spark plug of energy and enthusiasm for our team.  She entertains the group regularly with her video clips of our life, always beginning with filming herself narrating what we are about to see in her unique and animated style.  Amsara models a great balance between having solid confidence in her ideas and being wide open to new experiences and perspectives that could completely change her perspective. 

 

Kind, confident, and perceptive, Margo is a positive presence in group meetings and class discussions.  While she is not afraid to have her voice heard by the group, she is always careful to make sure her voice is not silencing those of the other girls.  With a bright smile and a ready laugh, Margo spreads happiness at every turn.  Margo was recently crowned our first Red Dirt Diva – for having the most sand on her face after this week’s sandboarding.  Upon receiving the award, she showed her ability to take herself lightly, a wonderful quality she models for the rest of the group.

 

Japhet, more often referred to as Papa or Ngwena (Crocodile), is our Zimbabwean, Shona driver and our Papa.  He is a big, jovial man who has been driving and looking after Traveling School groups in southern Africa for 7 years.  He drives other overland groups during the remainder of the year and is a goldmine of information on any number of things pertaining to southern Africa, including but not limited to politics, culture, history, agriculture, economics…  Ngwena also speaks 6 languages and is wonderful with the girls.  He is determined to teach them about Shona culture and language – particularly how important it is to respect your elders.  He cares much for the girls’ wellbeing and has a great ability to joke with them as well.

 

Crispen, or Ungwe (Fish Eagle), is our talented cook, also a Zimbabwean Shona.  He looks after our health and nutrition and is a master at making a tasty meal out of whatever food is (or isn’t) available.  Crispen is also wonderful at chatting with the girls and sometimes, if a student or teacher wants to ride in the front of the truck with Ngwena for the day, Ungwe will come and sit in the back with us and visit for the day’s ride.  He enjoys telling the girls about Shona culture and listening to them tell about their families and lives at home.

Shannon fills many important roles in the group; among them are resident linguist, cultural expert, entertainer, and comedienne.  Through her own deep and sincere interest in people and cultures, Shannon has inspired the girls to step fully and consciously out of the spectator role in our travels.  They are not only learning about the cultures and places we see, they are engaging the people themselves, learning through individual interactions and human connections.  Posted on the truck, her language mantra (the words of Nelson Mandela) reminds us of the importance of making the effort to learn other languages, even if only a few words: “Speak to a man in a language he understands and it goes to his head.  Speak to a man in his own language and it goes to his heart.”  Under Shannon’s careful guidance, the girls have seen and experienced this as truth.  Along with her talent as a teacher and cultural guide, Shannon is also animated, energetic and downright hilarious.  With her impressions and impromptu skits in any one of the several languages she speaks fluently, Shannon makes us laugh all the time, but most importantly in the moments when we seem to really need it.

 

In this wildlife, wilderness, and logistics intensive first quarter, Leah has been our naturalist, planner, and guide.  With an eye always on the big picture plan and a handle on the day to day logistical details, Leah is constantly making sure we’re going where we need to go and learning as much as we can along the way. Knowledgeable and incredibly enthusiastic about the natural world through which we are traveling, Leah has helped all the girls find their inner scientist by making science accessible, real and relevant.  It is impossible to be in Leah’s presence and not get excited about science, whether it’s the genetics of cheetahs, the social behavior of meercats, or the water cycles of the Okavango Delta.  Science journals in hand, the girls are constantly exploring the plants, animals and ecosystems of southern Africa, writing and sketching them into their memories.  With a strong environmental education background, Leah has brought conservation issues in southern Africa into sharp focus for our group – inspiring discussion, observation, and keen interest.  Along with her humor and great energy, Leah also brings a wealth of group development experience to our crew, helping us make TTS14 an ever-stronger community. 

Impassioned about history and dedicated to teaching the girls to draw connections and synthesize information into understanding, Chrissie has created an exciting environment of intellectual exploration – in her class and on the trip in general.  Walk by history class at any point in the hour and there are always six hands in the air.  Helping the girls see the themes in history that connect us all, Chrissie has sparked a fire in students to discuss and explore history as a study of the human condition. 

 

While being serious about education and dedicated in her teaching, Chrissie manages to achieve and model an inspiring balance between fun and hard work.  She is always ready to lead us in songs, games, skits and role play, and is ever eager for an excuse to don a ridiculous costume, be silly in our Awards ceremonies, and generally goof around with anyone willing.  Perceptive and compassionate, Chrissie is always aware of the group vibe and focused on keeping the crew moving in a positive direction. Bringing a solid background in athletics and coaching to TTS, Chrissie is skillful in guiding the girls in building the bonds and trust of a strong team.

 

Whitney’s leadership within the TTS14 community is invaluable. Her calm demeanor, levelheaded approach to all situations instills confidence within the teacher team. Her decision-making skills and wealth of knowledge have shaped the experience and wonderful community that is TTS14.  Whitney has the amazing ability to stay focused on the big picture and truly understands how to positively support the students and other teachers.  She is a wonderful role model for all as she lives in the moment and understands the value of connecting with experiences around her.  Students are inspired in Whit’s classes as she seeks to encourage them to make connections and develop their worldview.  She also has the impressive ability to cut loose at any moment bringing new moves to our dance parties.  Whitney’s ability to combine her wise and gentle sides with her fun-loving and easy-going characteristics make her a dynamic and complete leader and confidant.

 

CLASSES

Literature of Southern Africa
As I write this, we are halfway through Poisonwood Bible and fully immersed in the life of the Price family in the Congo in the 1960s.  Although the book is set in the Congo in the 60s, the themes and setting are relevant to our experiences here and tie in closely with topics in History, Global Studies, and Language and Culture.  Class discussions are lively with girls eager to share their favorite passages, analyze the characters, or explore Barbara Kingsolver’s subtle symbolism.  Along with our reading discussions, journal entries are a daily part of class, giving the girls a chance to focus on a specific writing skill or reflect on the world around them and their experiences here.  We are in the middle of the second draft revision of their descriptive essay, with final drafts due in a week.  ThePoisonwood Bible offers us prolific examples of creative and poetic description and I think Kingsolver has inspired the girls to explore and develop their own talents in descriptive writing. 

 

Languages and Cultures of Southern Africa
The ladies are doing a wonderful job of impressing the locals with their talent to adapt to the myriad languages and cultures of Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia.  Their brains continue to dance on the edge of full capacity while trying to obtain and memorize only a few of the hundreds of languages we have encountered.  So far they are able rattle off basic greetings in Tonga, Bemba, Setswana ,and Shona which they practice on a daily basis with our Shona cook and driver from Zimbabwe.  As if this weren’t enough, they can also sing “Mutu, na’ pikiti, na kokola, na tulkumo” which is the Nyanja version of “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” flawlessly.

On top of retaining a multiplicity of different languages, the girls are also exploring the complex concept of cultural and linguistic preservation as they explore and witness English as well as other European languages and lifestyles blend with the different tribes scattered throughout the continent. 

 

Travel Journalism
The TTS14 aspiring young journalists are keeping themselves busy trying to finish up their first 1,000-word article.  They have been learning and practicing the imperative journalistic tools for information gathering such as organization, observation, interviewing, and research.  As a way to put this knowledge to use, everyone wrote a short article documenting the “Chobe Chuck Fest.”  Each of our journalists started their story from a different point in the event to demonstrate the strengths of starting their articles from a chronologically unique time along the story to grab their readers straight from the beginning. 

Their cameras are also being put to great use as they play with silhouettes, digital close ups, and different framing techniques within the almost overwhelming amount of photo opportunities there have been on the trip thus far.  We are all off to a great start with learning the different ways to bring our experiences home in both words and pictures, and we look forward to sharing them with our eager audience in the US. 
  
Natural Science
Our first month in Southern Africa has provided awesome opportunities for the students in the Natural Science Class.  We began the semester with Unit 1: Introduction to Field Science.  The students practiced writing thorough field entries in their science journals, documenting the many types of living organisms around them.  We studied the variety of biomes we’ll travel through during the semester and developed the main groundwork for Unit 2 reviewing ideas of adaptations, niche, and the foundation of environmental thought.  In Unit 2 we’ve studied Population Ecology and Biodiversity.  The class has focused on ecosystem studies, population ecology and species interaction, in relation to the variety of land management systems found in Southern Africa.  What better place to see this in action than Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and Etosha National Park in Namibia. These experiences were perfect opportunities to thoroughly study population dynamics and continue our discussion regarding the ideas behind preservation and conservation of land and species.  We have been able to compare these experiences to the conservation ethics of the Cheetah Conservation Fund.  The science class spent significant time studying the cheetah, it’s role in the ecosystem and CCF’s conservation ethic.  CCF has been the perfect case study for the wrap up of Unit 2 as we have focused on conservation biology and community-based conservation.  The students will be beginning their midterm project, which will synthesize all they have studied up to this point.  Next week we will begin Unit 3: Geology of Southern Africa while we are still in Namibia, home to the largest sand dunes on the planet, as well as the 2nd largest canyon in the world, Fish River Canyon – any geologists dream.

 

Algebra II
The Algebra II class is about to wrap up Chapter 2 and prepare for a chapter test next week.  So far, we’ve covered foundations for functions in Chapter 1, in particular taking time to practice solving square root equations and properties of exponents.  The other foundations built in Chapter 1 included exploring different types of functions and reviewing the basics of transforming points on a grid system.  Chapter 2 focuses on Linear Functions.  We have covered solving linear equations and inequalities as well as writing linear functions and solving inequalities in two variables.  The second half of Chapter 2 has focused on transforming linear functions and solving absolute value equations. 

 

Geometry Independent Study
In Geometry, the Chapter 2 test is at the end of this week.  Alexa is digging deep into geometric reasoning by way of two column proofs.  Chapter 1 focused on tools for constructing planes, lines and angles.  In addition Chapter 1 covered midpoint and distance formulas as well as transformations in a coordinate plane.  Chapter 2 began with inductive and deductive reasoning with movement towards creating different types of proofs. 

 

Pre-Calculus Independent Study
Our semester started with a large review of algebraic concepts, building on functions and graphs.  Chapter 2 has focused on polynomial and rational functions, including complex numbers, rational functions and modeling functions. 

 

History
We have spent the past month exploring themes, patterns, and ways of being that cut across space and time. Our readings pertain specifically to the nations in which we’re traveling—so far Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia—or in which we have a personal connection (in the case of Zimbabwe due to our relationship with Ungwe and Ngwena) have served as great conduits of discussion. We have grappled with identity, modernity, racism, colonialism, infrastructure, marginalization, power, nationalism, and dispossession…to name a few. We have particularly loved excerpts from Alexander Fuller’s lyrical, searing, and often humorous Don’t Let’s Go To the Dogs Tonight, her autobiographical work about growing up and coming of age as a white African in Rhodesia during their war of independence in the 1970’s. The students are reading and journaling and asking relevant questions, challenging one another and challenging me, analyzing and determining for themselves with all they’re reading and seeing, what they believe to be true. We’re set up well, in terms of their depth of thought and willingness to grapple with difficult topics, to tackle the vast and explosive history of South Africa in the coming weeks.

 

Math Applications
In Math Apps thus far this semester we have explored real and imaginary realms of personal finance.  We have lively discussions in class on topics ranging from budgeting and health insurance to checking accounts, credit cards, debt, lease agreements, future careers, saving and investing, and college applications.  We are approximately five months into the Game of Life in which each student is given a made-up “life.”  In that life they have jobs, husbands, families, bills to pay, and budgets to create and keep up.  Each class period they choose things out of a hat that “happen” to them: a child needs braces, the mother-in-law wants to move in, insurance rates go up, a car breaks down…  It’s a fun way to learn about and discuss many issues related to personal finance, which will be relevant to students as they become independent.  We are in the midst of studying debt and credit, and will cover mortgages, auto loans and resume writing before we hit Cape Town.  The goal of this quarter of the class is to begin to prepare the girls to take charge of their personal financial futures, or to at least help them know the right questions to ask.  The class seems to have sparked a real interest in family finance and all the girls seem eager to have a better understanding of “how my parents do it.”  So don’t be surprised when the questions start rolling in!

 

PE/Nutrition
The girls have embraced PE with enthusiasm—eagerly waiting outside of their tents each morning before our usual 6 am start time. We try and alternate between strength circuits, yoga, and running/power walking sessions. Recently, we have also started to play competitive games of tag as well as capture the flag (which both students and teachers LOVE). The girls enjoy PE so much, they’re clamoring for more, which we’re working on ways to incorporate into our busy days.

In terms of Nutrition, our weekly class sessions have explored constructing our own personal food pyramids—both real and ideal, ways in which to carve personal space (important to maintain sanity in group living and travel), and the power of thought and how to successfully ride the roller coaster of emotion (especially the ups and downs of teenage years). The girls’ openness, willingness to share, and comfort asking great questions make each session informative and interesting.

Whew.  Whether you’ve read, skimmed or skipped to this point, here at the end of this mini-novella of a trip report, I would like to give you a short report on the here and now; which I also did at the beginning of the report but (mostly because I got so long-winded) it is now a different here and now than it was then – if you know what I mean.

 

In spite of that challenge, the coastal town of Swakopmund has been a good place for us to pause, rest, and gear up for the next few weeks of travel before we hit Cape Town.  Tonight we took some time together to reflect on how we are, as a group - where we’ve been, where we want to go and what kind of community we want to create.  Without exception, everyone dug deep and spoke up honestly and bravely. It was difficult, but good; and we all realize the hardest work comes now in really doing what we have said we want to do, in creating what we’ve said we want to create.  But we know we can do it.

Your girls are amazing, bright, captivating, insightful, and hard-working young women.  It is an incredible journey we are on together, and we thank you for making it possible.

Whitney
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November 11, 2009

Hello again TTS14 Parents and Friends,

The bulk of this trip report comes from your fabulous daughters.  I wanted their voices to be heard this time, instead of just the teachers’. As they were writing these during our stay in Cape Town, their time was divided among many other things – so they are not highly polished English class-style essays.  But I think they’re wonderful and I know you will enjoy reading them.

-Whitney

 

Alexis on Life in the Truck

Where would we be without the big blue truck?  This 12-ton overlander is The Traveling School’s home away from home in Southern Africa.  The bottom half carries our tents, sleeping pads, tables, chairs, food, firewood, kitchen supplies, and backpacks.  The top half is where we “live” on the road – 25 seats, 25 cubbyholes, a table, a library and a refrigerator. 

 

As for life on this truck, things can get a little crazy.  Schoolbooks, book bags, and personal items often find their way out of their cubbies and onto the floor.  The library, filed on a makeshift shelf at the front of the truck, often has difficulty containing its contents; on the bumpy African terrain, books tend to tumble down on the unsuspecting heads of those sitting or sleeping below.  Snack time, which comes twice a day, alters each girl’s personality, turning us into lionesses on the prowl.  Apples, crackers, peanut butter, and rusks (a less sweet and bulkier version of a biscotti) are dragged back to each girl’s territory and highly protected.  Once our bellies are filled napping often follows and sleeping in our truck takes the mind of the inventor.  Sleeping pads are laid out between seats to resemble the closest thing to a bed.  While some girls rest in the aisle, others use the unoccupied space to extend cramped legs.  If you’re not one of these lucky ones, sleeping entails contorted bodies and crooked necks.  However, any sleep is good sleep at the Traveling School and we take it when we can get it…

 

Laurel on Swakopmund

After a full travel day (FTD if you’re up on the TTS slang), our truck rolled into the small coastal city of Swakopmund just as afternoon was turning to evening.  This FTD included a visit to the stinky seals at Cape Cross and lunch on the windy shores of the Atlantic Ocean.  Instead of groups of tents, our home in Swakopmund was a cluster of three pink A-frames, complete with bathroom, loft, downstairs bedroom – and the scattered contents of our backpacks and a lot of accumulated sand by the end of our stay.  That evening we unloaded the truck in record time knowing the sooner we were done the more time we would have before our first dinner outing for pizza. Town time throughout our stay meant time for Internet and even some clothes shopping.  Many girls, including myself, splurged for jeans, a much-desired item in the surprisingly cold, windy weather we found in Swakopmund. 

There were many laughs and tears during our stay.  Chrissie took a beating when Amsara jumped her during one of our intense nighttime games of Capture the Flag (that was the laughter).  Tears were shed when we said goodbye to Nicole and we tried to show her how much we cared by sending her off full of ice cream and cake – 3 cakes and 2 tubs of ice cream to be exact. 

 

Swakopmund might be sounding like a vacation, but it was very productive as well.  Between many class days and laundromat visits (yes, that’s right, we had our clothes washed in an actual washer and dryer instead washing them ourselves in a bucket!) we accomplished a lot.  My personal favorite memories were early morning runs along the ocean and our talk with Ginger Mauney, a spectacular woman and author who currently resides in Windhoek, Namibia and who inspired us all with her stories and advice.  We had freedom and time in this picturesque coastal town, and as it was one of our first “urban” experiences it started preparing us for the cities to come. 

 

Mariel on Sandboarding

Gliding, falling, sliding
Scream “To life!” and tip over the edge.
It’s the thrills that give you the chills that make it all worth the spills.
It’s the sand in your face, and your helmet hair.
Come on! Let’s go! Let’s tear through the air.
70 kilometers per hour, there’s no need to cower.
Life’s too short now, don’t let the moment sour
Shaking, laughing, barely breathing
Slip to stop, hike back to the top and let’s do it all over again.

 

Morgan on Dune 45

It is four thirty in the morning and the TTS girls are waking up, packing up tents, and loading into the truck.  Now what in the world can get twelve teenagers up and running this early in the morning?  Dune 45 can!  Once loaded, we drive an hour to the dune to beat the sunrise.  Just as the first signs of light emerge, we arrive.  Racing another overland truck group, we kick off our shoes and start the sandy hike up.  The sand is cold against our feet, yet we are sweating from the work of the climb.  Alexis and Laurel are our fearless leaders, cutting a path through the deep sand.  Once on top, we all sit on the crest of the sand, breathing heavily, enjoying the moment.  As we sit there, we watch the beautiful African sunrise – its orange brilliance always somehow different from the day before.  We watch the surrounding landscape turn a cloudy gray to a burst of bright red.  The sand of the dune gleams crimson against the light blue sky.  Being careful not to drop or harm cameras, we start posing for pictures. Placing ourselves in different positions to get the best picture.  Alexis and Sarah even somersault down the dune, covering themselves in sand.  And of course we get the classic TTS jumping pictures.  Once the photo shoot is finished and we have enjoyed the majesty of the dune, we gather our things and head down.  At the bottom, Hungwe has a nice hot breakfast all ready for us – the perfect end to a perfect morning. 

 

Sarah on Luderitz

We coasted down from the sand dunes of Kolmanskop into the Luderitz Backpacker’s Lodge just in time for lunch.   We almost didn’t believe the teachers when they explained we’d be sleeping in rooms with beds and sheets and overhead lighting!  We weren’t expecting to stay in Luderitz for more than one night, so most of us spent our time emptying out sand from our shoes and familiarizing ourselves with the mattresses instead of the city itself.  However, when we learned we’d be staying for three nights, we scattered out of our beds and into the breezy streets of downtown Luderitz. 

 

The buildings there had a mixed architecture to them, like the city couldn’t decide if it wanted to be an old time classic or a modern place of business and landed somewhere in between.  As we learned in science, the rocky hills beneath the mismatched buildings were made of some of the oldest rock in Namibia.  During Lit class, we climbed up these prehistoric rocks and shouted a Maya Angelou poem to each other through the wind.  Often times, the sound of the wind was the only sound in the streets – no torrent of tourists, no cacophony of cars, just us and the locals (who, although Luderitz is named after a German business man and filled with German street signs, didn’t speak German).  But the empty streets were liberating not depressing and I think we enjoyed feeling like we had the town to ourselves.  And even though we were excited to get back on the move, I think we were all a little sad to drive out of our little Luderitz.

 

Alexa on Kolmonskopp

As our boisterous truck rolls into Kolmonskopp, a Namibian ghost town, we all don jackets and fill our pockets with rusks (a common treat similar to biscotti), snatch our cameras, and file out of our massive blue home on the road. We march into the main hall to begin our tour of the abandoned diamond-mining town and assemble with the other
tourists. We are split into two groups, one German-speaking (composed mostly of the other tourists) and one English-speaking (primarily our group), and begin our walk through the desolate town.  The landscape is barren, with only one tree visible for miles. Dunes cascade onto the buildings and into the windows. The homes have become
hourglasses; high winds carry the sand of dunes and reclaim the town—their time almost up. As we wander through the streets our guide tells us about the town’s history. Built in the 1920’s, Kolmonskopp was mostly made up of German settlers and laborers from then
South West Africa (now Namibia). Our guide explained that laborers were not allowed to live in the town (due to their skin color), while Germans were set-up with fancy homes—most of which looked relatively similar as there was only one architect living in the town at the time. Diamonds brought a high standard of living for the Germans of Kolmonskopp. The homes were all air conditioned, there was a bowling alley on-site, as well as a small train women could ride up and down main street, since it was hard to walk in the sand in high heels.  The ghost town was once a luxurious place to live—ice was even served in the water (extraordinary as the town is located in the middle of the desert)! Now, the town lays vacant, dunes sweeping throughout, erasing its past.

 

Margo on the Orange River Trip

After spending a few days at the campground at Felix Unite, the girls of TTS14 departed for the last leg of our time in Namibia – a three-day kayak trip down the Orange River.  On the morning of October 19th, we all packed a few things in our watertight tubs, threw the rest of our stuff on the truck, and headed out on the river.  We paddled for about 6 hours, not including our stop for lunch, which consisted of sandwiches and – amazingly! – ice cream.  We then arrived at our campsite, had a few classes and ate dinner, and played some campfire games with our guides Bonny, Wula, and Abel.  Then we had a great time trying to blow up our mattresses and got to sleep under a beautiful night sky. 

The next morning, we were up early yet again to push out on the river.  We had an absolute blast tying all of our canoes together to swim and float down the river passing around the tennis ball and Frisbee.  The scenery was gorgeous with the flowing river, greenery on the banks, and mountains reaching to the sky on all sides.  We even did a “nappy run” where we left our boats at the top of the rapid and floated through the small waves on our backs.  Our 2nd night was much like the first – great food, fun conversation around the campfire, and a great night’s sleep under clear starry skies.

 

On our last day, we went on an early morning hike to up to an overlook where we could see the river valley spread out before us – a stunning view.  Soon after, we went down the biggest rapid of the trip, which led to two of the biggest wipeouts of the trip!  First Sarah and I overturned and then Mariel coming down right after us flipped as well.  What a mess!  We paddled for maybe an hour more, did a bit more swimming, and then ended up at the take out.  An hour’s drive in the Felix Unite truck got us back to the campsite where we ate a delicious lunch, bid farewell to Bonny, Wula, and Abel and jumped on the truck bound for South Africa!

 

Amsara on Fish River Canyon

Rocky sand causes our feet to shuffle carefully as we look over the edge of the canyon. Fish River Canyon stands as our classroom. Our teacher, Leah, informs us about the canyon’s history and present changes. Some stand on the edge to look down, fearless of the height and eager to see more. Others keep a safe distance and witness the majesty of the canyon through the zoom of their camera. We pose for a picture with the canyon as our backdrop, cameras snapping indiscriminately. I stand on the edge to challenge my fear of heights; others stand on higher rocks to make out where the river begins and ends at the floor of the canyon. We walk along the edge to reach our destination for lunch. Our faithful overland truck waits in the distance, and as we walk back along the edge of the canyon, we stop and take a slew of pictures with a gnarled quiver tree, standing tall and solitary in the barren landscape. Lunch is ready as we amble in—ramen noodles
prepared by Hungwe. As we eagerly tuck into full bowls, we pause occasionally to stare off into the distance, reminded of how lucky we are.

 

Phoebe on Our Arrival in Cape Town

Our arrival in Cape Town was like arriving at Mecca.  Table Mountain and its “undulating table cloth” could be seen from miles away, a beacon of hope promising excitement and new experiences.  We rolled in on a big blue truck, weary from our recent days on the Orange River in the remote Namib Desert.  Tall buildings, restaurants, boutiques, and Internet cafes surrounded us in a whirlwind of color.  This is one of the things we had been dreaming about since day one, and yet it felt oddly unfamiliar.  We were in shock from the noise, lights and general splendor.  However, it didn’t take us long to recover from this “reverse culture shock,” and jump into city life.  We unpacked the trucks in a frenzy to get to dinner.  Our nicest combination of clothing was adorned we headed out for (OMG!) pizza!  Today consisted of classes at our cozy hostel, completion of midterms, internet and shopping.  So far this Mecca has been thrilling, interesting, and a nice break from our go-go lifestyle.  However, there is much left in store for us and we are eager to explore this beautiful city as much as we can.

 

Cape Town Highlights from Whitney

It’s hard to believe we packed in so much hard work, learning, exploring – and, of course, shopping – into a short 10 days in Cape Town. Telling you about all of it would be a trip report in itself and you know my capacity to ramble, so I am going to just give you some highlights. Besides what I will tell about below, we had class, wandered together up and down Lang (Long) Street, visited just about every market within a two-mile radius of our hostel, and had the chance to really reconnect with our family and friends on the other side of the Atlantic.

 

Mama Africa

Everyone finished final exams on Friday afternoon, the day after we arrived in Cape Town.  The girls felt a tremendous sense of relief, and we decided it would be a perfect night to go out as a group and celebrate.  Mama Africa is a Cape Town tradition for TTS, and for many other tourist groups.  It is a large restaurant on Lang Street that serves a variety of African cuisine and has live African music every night.  Showing resourcefulness unique to the teenage girl mind, our ladies managed to put together fun, fashionable (and of course appropriate) outfits out of what they’d been carrying around in their backpacks for 7 weeks.  Japhet was still in town that night and his wife, Patience, had just arrived so we had the immense pleasure of their company as well.  Just as we finished our delicious meal, the drums and marimbas started and the girls eagerly headed over to check out the band.  The girls were so excited to have a place to dance besides the aisles of our overland truck that in no time the whole group was shaking the dance floor and raising the energy of the restaurant.  As every band would, this one loved having an enthusiastic crew to perform for and a fun hour and a half of singing and dancing followed. 

 

Langa Township

It is going to be difficult for me to find the words to describe our visit to Langa Township, as it was easily one of the most powerful experiences we’ve had so far on our journey.  Toni Sylvester was our guide for the four hours we would spend in Langa.  Toni oversees our groupstays, teaches at University of the Western Cape, and has been working with underserved populations in townships around Cape Town for many years.  He is an amazingsource of knowledge and a very busy man and we were incredibly lucky to have him for our guide.  Throughout the morning, Toni was able to pick just the right information to share with the girls to help them understand what we were seeing, but not overload them with details. 

 

Langa is the oldest black township in Cape Town and also one of the smallest.  Toni spends a great deal of time working in Langa and knows a lot of people there.  We started with a short drive around the township to see the variety of living conditions contained within the township.  Dwellings ranged from two to three bedroom houses with small yards to scores of tiny shanties constructed with any material available.  We stopped in front of a new housing development the government is building and got to go inside one of them.  They were compact but sturdy, one-bedroom, cinderblock homes with their own bathroom and a solar hot water heater on the roof – very basic by American standards but a huge improvement over a lot of the housing we’d seen.  In much of Langa (and other townships) four or five one-room dwellings share a bathroom block that sits apart from the buildings.  Often a whole family will live in each one-room shack. The new homes we saw were being built along the N2 highway, which runs from the airport to the city.  By several accounts, the South African government is working hard to make sure all shanties are removed from the highway corridor and replaced with new housing by the time people start arriving for the World Cup next summer.  While any new housing is good, many people are cynical about such efforts because improved housing has been promised since the end of apartheid but little has been delivered until now. 

 

After seeing the housing, our next stop was a Catholic Church service Toni often attends.  He told he really enjoys the strong community feel at this church and wanted us to experience it too.  While we were sitting outside waiting to go into the church, our discussion turned to HIV/AIDS and Toni was telling us his perspectives on the pandemic in the populations he works with.  While were talking, a lively young boy came up and greeted Toni and then introduced himself to us – his name was Caberet.  It was obvious they were friends and Toni encouraged him to join our conversation, but Caberet was on his way to play drums in the church service so he had to go.  He smiled at us all and ran off towards the church.  After he left, Toni told us that Caberet was 13 years old and Toni had known him and been working with him for about 5 years.  He had lost his mom to HIV several years ago and was HIV positive himself.  He was taking ARV drugs (7 massive pills a day) and doing OK, but he was off and on very sick.  After Toni told us this there was dead silence; a weight settled on the group that is hard to describe.  We had been talking about HIV/AIDS for weeks.  We’d read shocking facts and firsthand accounts about lack of treatment and high infection rates. But then here was this beautiful kid in front of us who had lost his mother and was born with the burden of this disease without any choice, and we found more understanding of the AIDS pandemic in that moment than any amount of reading could ever bring.  A few minutes later it was time to go into the service and the despair we all felt was chased away for the moment by one of the liveliest church services many of us had ever attended.  I wish I could have a recording of the singing and drumming that day.  I think it touched us all as deeply as Caberet had, especially knowing he was up there drumming.

From the church we went to a nearby community center.  It was a large building with beautiful painted murals on the outside walls and colorful tile murals scattered throughout the interior. As we walked to the back we heard again the happy sound of drums and marimbas. Before we knew what was happening we were seated in a room watching the Langa Marimba Dance Troupe perform for us.  Five young girls danced while another girl and 3 boys played marimbas and drums.  There was so much positive energy in that room we had smiles plastered on our faces through the whole performance.  Next door to the dance room, was a dark room and pottery studio where Langa residents get training in photography and pottery, hopefully giving them skills with which they can create art and earn money.  A small gift shop in the community center sells the pottery and other crafts to tourist groups that come through. 

 

Our last stop in Langa was a visit to sangoma, a traditional healer, which was a fascinating experience.  We walked from the bright sunlight into a dark, low-ceilinged room and the first thing that hit us was the smell.  Impossible to describe, it seemed to come from a combination of the variety of animal skins hanging from the rafters, bottles of cures stacked along the walls, wood, roots, stones, and dried plants scattered on every surface, and the years of accumulated dust covering it all. As our eyes adjusted to the light, the sangoma came out to greet us.  He told us about his training as a sangoma and then went on to talk about the problems he treats and the methods he uses.  He told us that sangomas are trained from the time they are very young, in fact, “the healing power had been breathed into him while he was still in his mother’s womb.”  People come to see him for problems ranging from lost love and financial misfortune to minor aches and pains and major medical problems. He told us he uses amulets, liquid mixtures, and powders as treatments, depending on the ailment. At one point he lifted the edge of his shirt to show us a dried up baboon hand hanging from his belt – a powerful source of protection, although against what I cannot remember.  It was a wild experience but the girls took it in with the same openness and genuine interest with which they approach most things. Later we had a good conversation about their thoughts and skepticisms and the difficulty of not judging what we had seen from our Western perspective.   

 

On our way back to our hostel, we drove past the empty fields that used be the District Six community.  We stopped in the vans so that Toni could give us the sad history of this once vibrant neighborhood.  District Six was a lively mixed race neighborhood at the base of Table Mountain just outside of the city center.  The apartheid government did not like the racial integration and in 1967 the entire community was forcibly removed. According to their color, residents were relocated to different townships spread around outside the city.  In this process, neighbors, friends, and even family members (if it was a mixed race family) were separated.  This was a stirring introduction to District 6, which then was built upon by our visit to the District Six Museum two days later.

 

District Six Museum

On Tuesday morning after a couple early morning classes, we walked the 30 minutes down to the District 6 Museum.  We spent the next hour with Noor Ebrahim, captivated by his moving stories and experiences of growing up in District Six.  He showed pictures of his house and his family and told stories of the wide variety of people who lived happily there together.  It gave us all a vivid feel for what the community was like and what a significant loss District Six was for a nation that has been divided along lines of race for hundreds of years. Noor then told us that he was also a storyteller but “perhaps we were too old for stories?”  With a resounding, “No, we love stories!” we all sat down on the floor and listened as Noor told a story about leaving District Six.  You can check out excerpts from this story at this website.

 

Institute for Healing of Memories Visit

Next on the list of amazing Cape Town learning experiences, we got to visit with Themba Lonzi from the Institute for the Healing of Memories.  Their mission includes “Remembering the apartheid years and healing the wounds.  Redeeming the past by celebrating that which is life giving and laying to rest that which is destructive.” They work to do so by leading workshops and seminars to help people deal with emotions such as anger, hatred and guilt and develop processes for reconciliation and forgiveness.  He told us their work is based on the fact that everyone “should face history and face themselves.”  He also told us if you are seeking vengeance “you might as well dig two graves, one for your enemy and one for yourself.”  And also that trying to get revenge is like “drinking poison and hoping someone else will die.” Along with imparting many other pieces of wisdom that I wish I could quote clearly, Themba also played beautiful music for us on his thumb piano and led us in a Shona call and response song. 

 

Service Project with CASE

The girls did their service projects during the first two days of their groupstays.  On the first day, one of the volunteers at CASE met with the girls to talk to them about the organization and the challenges faced by youth in South Africa today.  The girls asked thoughtful questions and listened eagerly to the answers.  After this introduction the girls were charged with organizing and decorating what was to be an activities room for children in an after-school program.  With paint and furniture to work with they were given free reign over the project and did a wonderful job.  Chrissie and Genevieve said they were “happy homemakers” all afternoon trying to make the room as bright and comfortable as possible for the kids who would be using it.  

On the second day the girls worked more on the room in the morning, during which time Alexis painted a big, beautiful TTS symbol on the wall.  They also prepared for the two hours of activities they were going to oversee that afternoon with 75 seventh grade girls!  I would have been totally daunted by the idea of trying to organize such a group, but Shannon and Leah said the TTS14 students took it on like it was nothing.  When the girls arrived after lunch our team jumped into motion and ran an incredible afternoon of games, songs, dancing, and team building.  And they did it on their own. Shannon and Leah said they made themselves available to help, but the girls had it totally figured out; it was more a matter of stepping out of their way and letting them do their thing.  We were all so incredibly proud!

Sitting at home in the US, writing about our time in Cape Town, I am filled with emotion and gratitude. The Orange River Trip and the Cape Town time seemed to be milestones for the group.  There was an intangible shift that everyone seemed to notice but that is hard for me to define – a stronger coming together, new levels of comfort, more genuine sharing, greater honesty, the lowering down of walls…  Seeing them in such a solid place as a group made it both easier and harder to leave.  As I told them too, there will be still be challenges for this group but they are headed in an amazing direction and if they keep up the good work they will be that team that they’ve all been dreaming about since our first days on Lake Kariba.

 

Class Highlights:
Languages and Cultures

The girls continue to expand their linguistic repertoire with grace and enthusiasm.  As we move further south, Afrikaans and Xhosa (pronounced with a click!) are two of the languages we have had the opportunity to explore.  Our guides along the Orange River turned out to be spectacular teachers for the group.   They gave us a cultural lesson explaining the complex issue of racial categorization and both in the past and in the present day.  One of the most exciting Language events that took place along the river, however, was our singing and dancing at 6 in the morning along at one of our riverside campsites.  One of our guides, Wula (pronounced Vuula), who is an Afrikaans speaking Namibian, taught us a well-known children's song called Jan Pierewiet.  Jan Pierewiet is the name of a little bird and the lyrics of the song are quite simple but very fun.  Here is one of the verses:
Jan Pierewiet, Jan Pierewiet, Jan Pierewiet, staan still;
Jan Pierewiet, Jan Pierewiet, Jan Pierewiet, staan still.
Goeie more my vrou, heir's 'n soentjie vir jou.
Goeie more my man, daar is koffie in die kan.
We all sang the song and did the little dance as the kick-off to our last day on the Orange River – it was great!

History

Though we have had incredible moments and discussions in History in the past weeks, a particular class that stands above the rest is our question and answer session with Ungwene and Hungwe as a way to conclude our study of Zimbabwean history. The rich and complex history of Zimbabwe as well as the crises and challenges endured by Zimbabwean peoples in recent years were powerful and palpable historic realities when told by two Zimbabweans and members of our community. For two hours we sat in a circle at the base of a dramatic hillside under a shaded canopy and listened to stories and asked questions and tried to understand what it was to be Zimbabwean and to love your land and your home despite thirty years of political turmoil. “We are a very hopeful people, we Zimbabweans,” said Ungwene. “We are just trying to work, always trying. Someday you will come and see that it is the most wonderful place in all of southern Africa, I am not biased, I speak the truth.” To have the opportunity to engage history on such a close, personal level was a powerful, enduring experience.

 

Math Applications

During our week in Cape Town, Math Applications wrapped up the quarter with a “Lessons in Personal Finance” presentation to the rest of the group.  They came in character as their Game of Life personalities, complete with costumes and eager to impart the practical knowledge they had gained about budgeting, banking, debt and credit, investing, health insurance, and credit cards.  Each girl gave a short talk and then as a group they opened the floor for questions.   Some good questions arose; it was exciting to hear the Math Apps girls give informed answers about how as young women they can be in control of their finances and start to plan for solid and independent financial futures. 

 

Science

It seemed that everywhere we looked this quarter there was a science lesson waiting to be taught or a live example of something we had learned in class.  Standing on the edge of the Fish River Canyon was no exception.  We had started our geology unit the week before in Luderitz with a discussion of plate tectonics and geologic strata.  From the canyon rim we were able to recognize that we were looking at a fault area where a massive tectonic shifting had caused the initial canyon to be formed 650 million years ago.  Since then, a “second” canyon has been carved into the bottom of the first by the erosion of the river water.  Along the canyon, rock layers were clearly visible and we could see evidence of the law of superposition and geologic unconformities we had talked about in class.  We stood amazed as we looked at rock at the bottom of the canyon that at 1500 million years old was some of the oldest in Nambia.

 

PE/Nutrition

In Cape Town we took advantage of the rare access to Internet and did research on our bodies’ nutritional needs for protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and how we can best meet those needs.  We examined complete proteins in particular – what they are and why they are important to our bodies, as well as how to get enough complete proteins while eating a vegetarian diet.

 

Global Studies

While in Swakopmund, we began a study of leadership, with a two-fold focus and purpose.  We talked about leadership styles as well as leadership roles within a group. We recognized that having designated leaders and active followers is equally important, and that everyone takes on some form of leadership within the group, whether in a formal or informal way.   We went on to read an article about Nelson Mandela’s leadership, identifying 8 particular traits that made him such a successful leader.  We used these as platform to talk about leadership in general in Southern Africa, comparing Mugabe, Mandela, and Tsvangirai, and we will continue to use it as a framework for discussing politics and leadership as we dive into our study of South Africa.

 

Travel Journalism

It has been rewarding to see the TJ girls really invest themselves in their journalism. They passed The Writer’s Market enthusiastically around the truck for hours on end, pouring over it and trying to figure out which publications would be interested in their stories.  They have written query letters and handed in first drafts of their 1,000-word article.  In Cape Town many TTS journalists went everywhere with their notebooks and pens in hand—taking notes on their experiences, jotting down quotes, and hoping they might meet someone to interview.  We have writers in the making here, eager to share their experiences with the world.  Now we just have to wait and see which magazines are savvy enough to recognize their potential!

 

Algebra II

The Algebra II class has finished Chapter 3, Chapter 4, and has started on Chapter 5.  In Chapter 3 we covered solving systems of linear equations and inequalities.  We worked on graph systems as well as linear programming (applications).  In Chapter 4 we worked through Matrices.  We focused on basic matrix operations including addition/subtractions, scalar multiplication/division and finding the determinants of 2x2 and 3x3 matrices.  We are a few sections into Chapter 5, having covered several of the strategies used to solve quadratic equations including graphing, taking the square root, factoring and completing the square. 

 

Geometry Independent Study

Our Geometry Independent study has worked through Chapters 3 and is finishing up Chapter 4 this week.  Chapter 3 focused on parallel and perpendicular lines and coordinate geometry.  Chapter 4 has focused on triangle congruence - in particular looking at classifying triangles and proving triangle congruence.  In addition, we have also covered identification of isosceles triangles and equilateral triangles. 

 

Pre-Calculus Independent Study 

The Pre-calculus Independent Study course has worked through Chapter 3, and we are part way through Chapter 4.  Chapter 3 focused on exponential and logarithmic functions.  Topics in this chapter included: rational exponents, exponential functions, the number e, compound interest, logarithmic functions, common logarithms and natural logarithms.  Chapter 4 has focused on trigonometric functions.  Topics included in this chapter are: degree and radian measure, central angles and arcs, trigonometric functions of special angles, right triangle problems, law of Sines, law of Cosines, and area of a triangle.

 

Literature

I think my favorite moment from Lit class in the last few weeks came in Luderitz.  At the end of class one day I assigned each person in the class 5 or 6 lines from the poem “Phenomenal Woman” by Maya Angelou, and the final few lines we would all read together.  The next day we hiked up to one of the highest points in town, on top of an outcropping of rocks, carrying the poem with us.  The fog had rolled in an hour earlier and the town was barely visible through the mist.  The wind blew hard as we gathered in a tight circle and read through the poem for the first time, each speaking our parts.  Then I asked everyone to take 5 steps back and we read it again.  Then we took 10 steps back and this time we had to shout so that we could hear each other.  For the last round, we stepped back as far as we could while staying on the rocky area.  We couldn’t all see each other but through the fog and the wind we could hear the lines float through the air until we shouted the last ones all together:
“I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.”

You have incredible daughters.  I miss them very much already.

Whitney

 

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December 10, 2009

 

The girls wanted to catch you up a bit with what they’ve been up to since the last trip report went out (a lot).  Each of them has a brief description of one of their adventures since leaving Cape Town and the teachers have added their words about what’s been going on academically. 

Enjoy!  The girls will be on their way tomorrow. 
Cheers,
Jennifer

 

Alice Symington on Groupstays

As we drove off in pairs to our different home stay families we looked forward to clean showers, towels, and real beds. But we found a lot more than just that; we found loving families and a warm invitation into their lives on the outskirts of Cape Town. The last few days I spent with my host parents and sister were filled with smiles and many lessons. Out host father, Oscar was in education, and we had many interesting talks about the educational system in South Africa. Overall, home stays allowed our group to spend a few days away from each other and return with many interesting stories about our families, relaxed and ready for our next adventures on the road.

 

Kendall Rich on Tsitsikamma

It was a Monday when TTS stumbled off the Tsitsikamma trail with blisters littering swollen toes.  Girls formed a tired line in front of the truck, where only three days earlier we had unloaded a bit anxious about the miles of trail yet to be hiked.  Our teachers equipped us with games to keep our minds occupied while our bodies focused on moving us along the trail.  These games were in our heads as we began our 38.8 km hike into the hills. On the hikes we climbed up hills, over rocks and faced baboons. When we arrived at cabins each night and prepared a meal without the luxury of having our trusty cook, Crispen and settled in after dinner to rest, relax, share trail stories and hear Amsara sing. Then we took ice cold showers and passed out on our beds.

Hiking the Tsitsikamma trail was a great bonding experience along with an opportunity to exercise.  We walked off the trail exhausted yet filled with a feeling of accomplishment. 

 

Allegra LaFerr on Surfing Jeffrey’s Bay

Looking out at the Indian Ocean we watched the waves roll in. Our guides fitted us to our boards as we zipped up our wetsuits, getting ready to hit the surf. We then learned how to catch a wave, and finally how to stand up. Over the next few hours we tried to catch wave after wave, determined to stand on the unsteady boards. But when we finally caught a wave, the two-second-victory ride back in was sheer bliss. I think I can safely say, we all have a new found appreciation of world-class surfers.

 

Margo Brookfield on Mdumbi, Xhosa Cultural Hike

While staying in the rural Zulu Village of Mdumbi in the rolling hills of South Africa, our group had the privilege of taking a tour of the Village with our guide Lusander (19 year old Xhosa local).  First we visited a mud hut in the making and Lusander explained how villagers made their rondaval huts with mud and cow poo.  We also visited respected elders in the village along with Lusander’s grandmother.  We learned how Xhosa women weave the baskets they carry on their heads and how they grind up corn with stones into mealie meal or maize meal.  We went to the rondaval where they make the traditional beer and got to meet other members of Lusander’s family.  A few of the girls got to be dressed up in the traditional Xhosa clothes.  Overall, the group learned a lot about traditional Xhosa lifestyle and culture during our hike and had a ton of fun.

 

Morgan Wilson on Mdumbi Transcape

In the hills of South Africa, beside the Indian Ocean, there is a little town called Mdumbi.  Here, two men started and organization that supports the community in many ways.  Yohan and Heiman started Transcape about three years ago.  Their goal was to help the Xhosa people in this area by empowering them to make a difference in their own community.  So these two men created a Backpackers (hostel) in Mdumbi as their home base.  The establishment of this hostel initially created jobs for local villagers.  Transcape later blossomed into a restaurant in Mdumbi, a pre-school, a library, and a computer center.  Transcape also has set up clinics in the surrounding area.  Here people can be provided with any medications, most importantly HIV/AIDS treatment.  Transcape also has volunteers who travel around to test people for HIV/AIDS and find a ways for them to get treatment.  In all of this, Yohan and Heiman hire many locals and do their best to get them involved.  Their hope is that some day the locals will take over the management of all these services, without Yohan and Heiman.  We met a man who has already taken this idea to heart.  At 16 he decided to set up his own kayaking company.  So he went to Transcape and they helped him get started with a few kayaks.  His business has grown and he now even employs a man to help him.  This sort of local owned tourism is just what Yohan and Heiman want to happen in Mdumbi.  If this continues the people of Mdumbi will be able to use their resources to the maximum, and all of the proceeds will go back into the community.  Mdumbi will once again be able to stand on its own two feet.

 

Laurel Major on Qunu: Nelson Mandela Museum

In Qunu, the town where Nelson Mandela grew up, we visited two museums dedicated to his life.  The first was located in the main part of town; it focused solely on his life and his relationship with a few other members of the ANC (African National Congress).  It described him through different roles he has taken in his life, a comrade, a leader, and a prisoner.

The second museum was located on top of a hill above the rural village where Mandela lived as a boy.  He also resides here when he comes to visit his hometown.  The museum focused more on the progression of Apartheid highlighting Mandela’s accomplishments throughout the timeline.  This museum was located in a complex and was where we spent our night.  Before out tour of this museum we had the opportunity to slide down the very same rock Mandela played on as a child.  One special display in this museum was letters written by students of all ages to both Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks thanking them for their contributions to make world a more equal, peaceful, and fair place for people of all races and ethnicities.  It was very interesting to not only see the contrasts of the two museums and be in the place where Mandela spent a lot of his childhood but also be able to make the connections between Mandela and figures such as Rosa Parks who were influential in the Civil Rights movement in the US.

 

Alexis Duffy on singing group at Qunu Village

Imagine a symphony of voices so electrifying it brings chills to your spine and tears to your eyes. On November 15th, the Traveling School girls experienced mind-blowing performances by young South Africans. These men and women came together to tell the heartache of Africa through song and dance. They expressed the struggle of AIDS, abuse, drugs, and a loss of identity. With powerful voices they encourage children to get off the streets and make something of their lives. Their performance was so captivating that all we could do was sit with our mouths open and tears running down our cheeks.

 

Jennifer Royall (visiting with parents) on Eshowe and Rocktail Beach Camp

I joined the group for around 10 days from the States.  I spent a few days in Eshowe with the girls before the visiting parents arrived.  During my stay, the girls were lucky enough to meet an amazing and inspiring woman, Dr. Paula Diab, who started the first HIV/AIDS clinic in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, an area with the highest incidence of HIV in South Africa.  The students visited a traditional healer (Sangoma) in a neighboring Zulu village, toured another local village, visited a local Gospel Church service and spent an afternoon and evening at a living museum of sorts, dedicated to teaching about Shaka, a famous Zulu chief and Zulu traditional arts, dancing, music and culture.  After our time in Eshowe, we loaded the parents, students and teachers on the truck and headed for the Indian Ocean.  The girls camped in traditional Zulu huts, ate under a beautiful thatched roof pavilion and had the opportunity to learn about nesting turtles, do a beach cleanup, an evening turtle walk and even go for a “marine safari” in search of whales, turtles and dolphins.  They also did some hard-core ocean snorkeling and boogie boarding while at the coast.  Two wonderful memories for me of our time together were two special meals we had together with the whole group.  Crispen made is traditional Shona meal of sudza, cabbage with peanut sauce and African beef stew – as amazing as I remembered it!  Then, the very special last meal together at Rocktail Beach Camp for Thanksgiving.  The girls shared songs, poetry, their own writing and much yummy food too.  We packed a lot in during these days together.

 

Sarah Gaspari on Amphitheater Cathedral Peak

15 of us packed into the 14-seater van at 8:00AM, driven by our guide, Zee.  Many of us (myself included) were plagued by memories of the blisters from out Tsitsikamma backpacking trip, but we soon found out we’d grown we’d grown tougher than we thought.  That, or the spectacular view of the craggy, prehistoric peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains kept our minds off our feet. The mountains rose beneath a smooth blanket of grass and poked the clouds with sharp rocky tips.  We made our way up towards these peaks.  At one point, Zee turned to us and pointed up what was an almost vertical passage of boulders and shrubs and said, “There’s not really a marked path. You can make your own, and then you can start eating lunch when you’re at the top.”  After we’d clambered over the last ridge, panting and sweating, we ate our sandwiches and proudly looked down at the valley we’d just come from.  We then spent ½ hour swimming in an “outdoor Jacuzzi” above the 2nd highest waterfall in the world, and taking pictures of ourselves peering over the edge of the mountain.  Too soon, it was time to head back.  For many of us, this turned out to be the most exhilarating part of the hike because we had to descend down the long chain ladders bolted into a steep cliff wall with the wind blowing and the ladders shifting underneath us; it was quite a harrowing journey.  But we all made it back to the van in one piece, and we drove back to camp with tired legs and smiles of accomplishment.

 

Amsara Holly on Ncome/Blood River

The Bloed River, or to the Zulu people, the Ncome river has a history that changed the ways of South Africa.  We visited the museums of both the Afrikaner and the Zulu’s version of the battle of the Bloed River.  We visited the Afrikaner’s museum first.  We watched a movie and read off the walls that described this important historical event.  We found that the Afrikaner’s version was biased and spoke only of their triumphs with little information about the Zulus and their accomplishments.  Afterward, we went to the Zulu’s museum of the Bloed River, which was named Ncome.  That was the original name of the river, but the Afrikaners could not pronounce if so they renamed it.  As we stepped foot on the Ncome museum, our guide confronted us and told us to find a balance of the truth between the two points of view and use our own judgment.  As part of TTS we did that naturally, but the majority found the Ncome Museum more reliable and easier to understand as it explained the battle.  When we finished the tour, we went back to the Bloed River museum and stepped foot into a mock setting of the battlegrounds.  We planted ourselves in the life-sized brass wagons that recreated the how the Voortrekkers arrived at Bloed River, and then we dissected both experiences in the museums.  Our conclusion went back to what our guide at Ncome told us; we will never know that complete truth.  It was a perfect example of what our history teacher Chrissie has enforced in our minds from the beginning: The truth of history lies somewhere in between.

 

Phoebe Coburn on Waterval Boven

As finals were wrapping up, we found that the best way to relieve stress was to go rock climbing – in the climbing Mecca of South Africa no less, Waterval Boven. We spend three afternoons exploring the area and testing out limits with heights and strength. Waterval Boven means “above the waterfall” and that’s a perfect description of the area. The town clings to the mountain, just above the waterfall, and the cliffs surrounding town are a climber’s dream. As challenging as the climbing was at times, it got our minds off finals and the TTS atmosphere instantly went from study/finals mode to a relaxed and mellow mood. Any worries we had were instantly gone, so we could focus on the rock face in front of us. Accomplishing a climb never felt so good, the cliffs we were on were high above the valley, and looking out across the large expanse, the nature reserve below, the lush hills, and a few trickling waterfalls, was one of the most beautiful sights of the trip. We’re in Kruger National Park as I write this, but before long we’ll be back at our cute hostel in Waterval Boven. It will be our last full day in Africa, and we’re ending this trip with a bang. We’re going to use the rappelling skills we learned to drop down right next to the main waterfall!

 

Alexa Wagner on Waterfall Hike

After a wonderful morning of rock climbing we trekked thirty minutes in the blazing sun to a swimming hole. We walked through canopies of leafy trees and groves of aloe. When we arrived we found a pool of water at the base of a towering waterfall. Jumping into the chilly water, we swam and floated beneath the rushing water. The black rocks around the falls were wet and slimy and made the perfect seats for picture posing. It looked like a scene from a movie. Red cliffs enclosing a waterfall cascading down into a pool of water and fourteen girls lounging in the sun or diving in cool mountain water.

The hike down was also something out of a movie. We recall it as our “Indiana Jones” trek and hum the theme song. The rain patted gently on the lush foliage hushing the surroundings. The ground became wet and slippery. Mariel and Kendall both fell into the creek. Our group jumped rocks across rivers, bushwhacked, and then adventured into a black tunnel with a stream running through it. All we needed was to learn Indiana’s whip tricks!

 

Mariel Colvin on Stone Circle

Imagine a civilization. This civilization is more than 75 thousand years old -- older than the Egyptians, older than the Incans, and the Mayans. The people of this civilization cannot be read about in textbooks. This is because it has only been known about for less than a decade. Its ruins were found around Waterval Boven. We had the privilege of seeing and learning about them from a man named Michael. He has been studying them for the past year and he has many interesting theories about how the civilization was created, and how it disappeared. Michael believes that this civilization had the ability to harness sound. They created ruins by intensifying vibrators in the earth. The rocks piled high in circular formations that look much the same as sand that has been vibrated on a metal plate. He also believes that they may have been able to levitate objects by concentrating sound. The strange thing is, there are no human remains that have been found within the ruins. Michael’s theory on this is that they were either completely washed away in the great flood, or they just disappeared, maybe vibrated off the earth. It’s all very peculiar, but maybe the answers will be clear once they have the means to orchestrate a dig. Until then, we are left only with what we think is plausible.

Class Updates

History and Government of South Africa
We leapt into the explosive history of South Africa head first from the moment our blue truck rolled into Cape Town. At first, the power and significance of each experience could be felt deeply but not yet intellectually defined. It is that process of definition which we have been devoted to these past six weeks. Rian Malan’s gripping, and at times overwhelming narrative, My Traitor’s Heart, acted as our main conduit of discussion into the broad, sweeping themes of apartheid, hatred, violence, healing, and redemption vs. retribution, blindness, tribalism, westernization, and modernity. A handful of interactive lectures that moved through the history of South Africa from antiquity to the present provided a requisite background of historical understanding. Our visit to Mtatha and Qunu (childhood and adolescent homes of Nelson Mandela) stand as powerful events representative of the extraordinary process of experiential education. In Qunu (Nelson Mandela’s childhood village), the girls slid down the rock Mandela slid down as a boy, and stayed in a comfortable hostel overlooking the hills where Mandela once roamed; we were also given late night access to the on-site museum’s Apartheid and Nelson Mandela/Rosa Parks exhibits. It was incredible to watch as the students roamed freely, sat cross legged under the life-sized, powerful words of Mandela scribbling furiously in their journals, and ultimately gained a small piece of understanding made possible only by such a unique, intimate encounter with history.

 

Language and Culture
Since our departure from the “Rainbow Nation” of Cape Town, we have continued to perplex and amaze all who we encounter.  Although South Africa has an astounding 11 official languages to claim, this group of ambitious young ladies has taken on the three most widely spoken; Xhosa (pronounced with a click!), Zulu, and have continued to strengthen their already impressive knowledge of Afrikaans.  Their ambitions, however, don’t stop there.  As we have been touring along this diverse nation, we have been fortunate enough to interact first hand with the traditional lifestyles of both the Xhosa and Zulu tribes with tours of different villages.  These tours were especially powerful due to the fact that they were led by locals who were able to bridge the cultural and linguistic gaps we inevitably experience as scholars from a land so different from South Africa.  As a natural way to process what we have been witnessing, these ladies have been making connections between the similarities and differences of the myriad adaptive choices these peoples of South Africa have made throughout their perspective histories. 

   

Travel Journalism
We have been busy writing up a storm these past few weeks as we have been sweeping across South Africa.  These dedicated journalists are doing an excellent job supporting one another as they struggle to articulate their experiences in southern Africa to the public.  As a way to help facilitate this process we have been working hard on peer edits, learning how to write cover letters, analyzing articles published in National Geographic as well as other traveling stories.  They girls have written advice articles to future TTS Africa students and are currently working hard on their final articles to end the semester with a bang.  They have also been diligently taking photos as a way to bring their home in pictures.  

 

P.E. and Nutrition
The past six weeks, much of the course content and activities in both P.E. and Nutrition have been entrusted to the girls. As part of their final project in P.E., each girl was responsible for writing a lesson plan and running the workout; they did a fantastic job “mixing it up” with field games, circuits, yoga, running/jogging, dance instruction (TTS14 can now perform MJ’s Thriller!), and demonstrated consideration and awareness in accommodating the workout needs of the group. We have also had the opportunity to venture into the outdoors and seek physical challenge by four days of backpacking in the beautiful Tsitsikama foothills, day hiking in the staggering and dramatic Drakensburg Mountains where we scrambled up gullies, and swam in “nature’s infinity pool” at the top of a waterfall overlooking Drakensburg’s sweeping amphitheater, and rock climbing for three days on the red rock jutting from the hillsides of the climbing haven, Waterval Boven. In Nutrition, the girls were asked to form small groups and select a topic to present to the rest of the class: sex, drugs and alcohol, eating disorders, and exercise and dietary plans. Their presentations were comprehensive, creative, and engaging.

 

Literature and Composition of Southern Africa:
During the second quarter the students focused on writing a 1000-word personal narrative.  Using a personal narrative as a platform, the students reflected on an experience in their lives that illuminates growth, change, and/or larger social issues.  The specific writing skills the students focused on during the multiple drafting and peer editing workshops were organization, leads, endings, word choice, voice, condensing and exploding moments.  In addition to developing a personal narrative, the students spent the second quarter reading and analyzing The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.  The students read 30-40 pages prior to each class period and tracked various themes that stemmed from the historical, pre-de jure Apartheid setting of the novel as well as South Africa’s great social and political issues and upheavals during and after World War II.  The final student presentations in the Literature and Composition course were focused on excerpts and quotes from The Power of One that illuminate the various themes they had tracked throughout the course of their reading.  The presentations included a critical analysis of the themes using skills of literary analysis combined with what the students had learned in the History of Southern Africa and Global Studies courses.  The narrative style that Bryce Courtney employs in The Power of One to tell the story was also used as a model for the students to expand their personal narratives to reflect greater social and historical issues in their lives.  In addition to the personal narrative and literary analysis, the students explored short stories and poetry during the second quarter. 

 

Mathematical Applications:
During the second quarter the students discussed approaches to reaching a dream career; this included what tangible, definable, necessary steps they would need to take with education, training and application to jobs leading up to their dreams.  The students worked on building and sharpening their resumes and projected into the future the application process for their dream job (including a mock-interview) during class.  The second quarter focus was designed to take their knowledge of personal finance and real-life mathematical applications acquired in the first quarter and apply those concepts to micro- and macro-economics.  This unit included discussions involving the present day sub-prime mortgage crisis and how it affects global economies, including those in southern Africa.  We continued through a study of the economies of Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.  The topics stretched back to full-circle as the students analyzed their personal finance (credit card debt, college loans, and future home loans) in connection with consumer choices and the role spending patterns, individually and collectively, have played in the global economy.

 

Natural Science
From Fish River Canyon, we closed up our study of the Geology of Southern Africa as we traveled by kayak down the Orange River.  We examined rock types and minerals as well as looked at the sedimentology of the river and the effect of weathering and erosion on its formation.  The student’s completed several journal entries and a rock/mineral lab, where they used several techniques for identification.  The unit wrapped up with a Mineral Project completed by each student.  They chose one mineral and took a more in depth approach to its characteristics and uses.   Our final class for this unit focused on diamonds.  We looked at the historic and economic role that diamonds have played and are playing in the shaping of southern African countries.  Using our knowledge base of geology - we transitioned into the study of global climate. 

 

Our study began with examining what makes up the Earth's unique atmosphere.  We examined current trends in climate change and global warming.  The students examined the increasing levels of Carbon Dioxide in our atmosphere and used this information to present on the variety of energy sources.   Then, they used information from home to determine their own carbon footprint and discuss the idea of sustainability and what can be done to make a difference in our daily lives regarding environmental impact.   The students then examined climate impact projections for a variety of environments across the globe - finding out how climate change could affect different areas.  Our final discussions included a look at the Kyoto Protocol and the upcoming climate world summit occurring in Copenhagen that will eventually create a Treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol Treaty.  In addition, the students examined the idea of environmental and climate justice - regarding how environmental impacts and climate impacts have the potential to impact developing countries more than developed countries.  As well, our last place-based science activity was on location at Rocktail Beach where students participated in studies of Loggerhead and Leatherback Sea Turtles.  The group was able to walk the beach at night and saw a Loggerhead Turtle on her way back to the ocean after laying her eggs!  Amazing!  

 

Algebra II
The students wrapped up Chapter 5 focusing on Quadratic Functions.  They examined 5 ways to solve quadratic equations.  In addition, they began the study of complex numbers and simplifying complex expressions.  The students began working through Chapter Six, focusing on Polynomial Functions.  They learned to simplify polynomial expressions, divide polynomials using long division and synthetic division, and learned to use the Factor Theorem and Remainder Theorem. 

 

Geometry Independent Study
Chapters 5 and 6 have focused on Applying Congruent Triangles and looking at Quadrilaterals.  In particular, we focused on altitudes and medians of triangles, right triangle congruency, indirect proofs, ordering sides of triangles from smallest to largest and the triangle inequality theorem.  Chapter Six has included a focus on properties of parallelograms, rectangles, squares, rhombus and trapezoids. 

 

Pre-Calculus Independent Study
Chapter 4 has focused on the basics of trigonometry and functions of.  This has included the unit circle, radian measures, graphs of sine and cosine and application of function.  Chapter 5 has focused on more analysis- including verifying trig identities, sum, difference and double angle formulas and trig equations.

 

Global Studies:
During the second quarter the students explored the core issues of human rights.  We began by defining in tangible terms the enormity of “human rights” through our experiences and personal beliefs juxtaposed with the collective definition of  “protective global human rights efforts” as promoted by the United Nations. Our unit on human rights allowed for a seamless transition into a dynamic study of activism and of impactful organizations that promote and secure human rights globally; we were allowed on-the-ground access and enriching personal experiences through opportunities to visit and work with human rights organizations active in southern Africa. Our days in Zululand were filled with affecting examples—a question and answer session with a Dr. Paula Diab, clinician and clinic founder who promotes HIV/AIDS healthcare and education, a visit to a scheme for AIDS-orphaned children, and a literacy center for women. 

 

Our following unit was the pinnacle of the entire semesters’ work in global studies: What are you going to do about it? We explored ideas about leadership education and empowerment, activism, global development organizations and the power of what affect one person can have in this world.  The students took the torch and launched the TTS14 Zenith Project to promote awareness and support for an organization or issue they felt passionate about in southern Africa.  The TTS14 Zenith Project is making strides to work with the Heal the Hood organization based in Cape Town.  The girls were inspired by this organization’s ability to use the hip hop culture as a tool to keep youth involved with their communities in a positive ways.  Heal the Hood encourages youth to showcase their talents and stay out of gangs through the art of dance, music, graffiti, and poetry.  Although the girls only spent four short hours experiencing this organization’s mission, they were inspired to spread their word and hopefully add kindle to the fire of passion that was ignited within each of them after their tour.  During the last week of TTS14 the students continue with transition activities that compel them to grapple with the ways in which they have changed as young women and how to transition home while embracing the change, empowerment and inspiration they hold from their semester. 

 

 

 

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