On Tuesday, I started with my own schedule at DGC. I am taking Maths, History, and English with Jenna, but Consumers, Art, and Zulu on my own. Consumers is all about food and how it works, sometimes we cook, and sometimes we learn about ‘what it means to be a consumer’. So far, I have baked biscuits and learned all about proper table etiquette. I have only been to one art lesson so far, but I really enjoyed it! The art teacher, Mr. McIver, is really nice, and asked a lot of questions about my past art experience, which none of the other teachers did in regards to their subjects. The class just started a new project, which is really nice because it means that I get to do it as well. Basically, we get to make whatever we want, as long as it is made up of materials we wouldn’t normally use to make art. No paints, pencils, clay, or other typical art materials allowed. I am really excited to get started, I’m just waiting for inspiration to strike! Zulu is honestly my favourite class! It’s really fun because Frances, Amelia (other exchange girls), and I get to try and put together pieces of Zulu like a puzzle. Also, one day the other girls had to work on a project, so Frances, Amelia, and I just chatted and watched the monkeys outside the school. That’s right, MOKEYS! It was so funny, they just come and hang out and run around outside, a few were even jumping on the car canopy like a trampoline. I wore the uniform for the first time on Tuesday, and I definitely like wearing my civvies (regular clothing) more.
My school days have all been very similar. I wake up at 5:45, and leave the house at 6:30. I get ready for school much quicker here because I don’t have to choose my outfit. We get to school an hour early because Lydia has chorus in the morning, so I have lots of time to chat with the girls, or nap if I need to. Class starts at 7:40, so from 7:40-10:10, I have classes, and then at 10:10, I have a twenty minutes break. Class resumes from 10:30-13:00, and we have a thirty minute lunch after. Lunch ends at 13:30, and school at 14:30. So far, every day has been consistently the same, unlike home, where the schedule changes a lot. The only day we have had a different schedule was on Mandela Day. On Mandela Day, you are supposed to take time off from your regular activities, and do something to give back to your community. DGC celebrated by making EcoBricks, bottles filled with single-use plastics that can be used to build homes.
Instead of going to school on Friday, Mrs. Meehan took all the exchange girls to a preschool in downtown Durban called Makabongwe. The preschool is run by an ‘old girl’ (alumni) of DGC, and it was started 24 years ago, with hopes to help children from townships. The preschool allows parents who commute from the townships into Durban to sell things on the street, to put their children somewhere safe for the day, so they don’t need to be roaming the streets like so many other children are. The kids were all very sweet and they loved playing with us. We made caterpillars to practice colour recognition, shape understanding, and counting. All of the kids that attend the school are black, and some where very surprised to see white people up close for the first time. They spent a lot of time playing with my hair and face, which I didn’t mind, but some of the other girls did not enjoy. The preschool was shocking to us, because it is in a very unsafe area, and it mostly made up of old warehouses, shipping containers, and donated cabins. The school is in the middle of a junkyard, and there are homeless people, trash, and wrecked busses everywhere. Seeing the preschool was an awakening experience, because it showed me how most people in South Africa live. So far, I have mostly seen the upper class part of SA, so it was easy for me to forget that the majority of people here live in extreme poverty. Sometimes when I am driving around the nicer neighbourhoods, going shopping, and eating out, I have to remind myself that I am in SA, because it feels so similar to America. I am very grateful that we went to Makabongwe, because it showed me more about how the majority of SA lives, and it was so great to spend time with the kids. I was so impressed by the women that worked there, because I was so tired after one day there, and I have no clue how they do it for months at a time.
Friday afternoon was also really fun, because Amy and Frances slept over. After school, we met Claire, Bella, and Lollie at the movie theatre and we saw the new Lion King, it was so good, and the graphics were incredible. Frances, Amy, Jenna, and I then hung out and played games at Jenna’s, and then we walked to the shops by Jenna’s house and got dessert. There is a restaurant called Plan B in SA, and it is a very popular dessert chain. Another difference, is that all good restaurants are chains here. I find that so interesting because chain restaurants at home are notoriously cheap and serve unhealthy food.
Saturday was a really cool day. Amy’s family took Jenna and I with them to a rugby game in downtown Durban. This was a really important game because the KwaZulu Natal Sharks were playing there rival, Western province (Durban vs. Cape Town). The Sharks won 32-27, which was very exciting because they usually lose to Western province. The game was super fun, and it was cool to see rugby up close because I had never watched it intently before. The amount of people in the stands was shocking because 80% of the stadium was empty. Usually, when I go to sporting events at home, there isn’t an open seat in the house. Amy’s dad told me that the stadium was so empty because there was also an SA national team game on later, so most people were having braais and watch parties at home for both games. We ended up seeing three other groups of DGC exchanges girls at the game, so we all sat together and watched the game together.
Saturday night and Sunday were both super chill, we just hung at home mostly. On Sunday I started throwing up and realised that I had a stomach bug. I stayed home from school on Monday, and today, Tuesday, I am trying out the boarding house at DGC. Can’t wait to report back about what dorm life is like.
South African Adventure 