Township & HBC

Today was a busy, fun day. We went to the oldest township in Cape Town, Langa. We visited a community center that is teaching young artists and sponsoring local art work. I met a few of the artists and made a purchase for my mom for Mother's Day:-) I had mixed feelings about the township visit. On one hand, I was fascinated by the history and on the other hand I saddened by the poverty. Since this is the oldest township, there are actually a range of different socioeconomic statuses that people live in. We were able to see all of them. We also talked with some of residents and visited their homes. It's amazing how people can be hopeful even when they have so little. I spent the afternoon with my friend and colleague Berte. I wanted to see an historically Black campus, and he took me to Western Cape University. It was a great tour and fun meeting some of his friends. Afterwards, we drove through several colored neighborhoods. I ended the day with dinner at Karibu, a South African cuisine restaurant. I had the King Clip which is the local fish along with my favorite, malva pudding!

From Stellenbosch to Mama Africa

We started our day at Stellenbosch University. This was my second visit to Stellenbosch and I had the opportunity to connect with my friend and colleague, Berte, who is a professor there. Gloria and I had the opportunity to lecture in his philosophy of education course to teaching majors. We talked about how our universities are similar in demographics and the kinds of strategies we are implementing in our teacher ed programs at USC in order to prepare teachers for diverse populations. Afterwards, Berte took us to visit a nearby township. We met some school children at the new secondary school in the township. We then went to Boschendal Vineyard. South Africa is a large producer of wine, and most of the vineyards are near Cape Town. We ended the day with dinner at a restaurant called Mama Africa. We had the best time eating some authentic African cuisine and listening to a great local band.

Hey Everyone, I made it safely to South Africa. The flight was fine. I had a good seatmate and we actually had an empty seat in between us, so we were able to stretch out and have a little more room. The flight from Atlanta to JoBurg was 14 hours, and then another 2 hour flight into Cape Town. We had a full day today (cultural briefing and overview of South Africa's economy). The hotel is on the Waterfront and in a very nice, upscale touristy area. But not so nice that I didn't see a gigantic rat run across the street in the middle of the day! You know I started screaming and acting a fool. Tomorrow is pretty packed as well. I'm hoping to post pictures tomorrow. The internet was going really slow, so I'll do my best to show you Africa through my eyes as soon as possible. Thanks again for your prayers. Love, Tambra

I am returning to Africa! I leave tomorrow and I will be going to South Africa, Zambia & Botswana. I have re-opened my blog to post pictures and thoughts about my experience. Stay tuned...