My grade 4's are so sweet... yet so rough with each other! Hands off is not the policy here. I love being able to hug the students and encourage them in that way but their fighting overwhelms me. I almost got toppled over at interval (recess/nutrition break) by my kids hugging me. Sometimes I get hugs from kids I don't even know. I am called Miss. Heather here...everymorning the kids say "Good morning Miss. Heather, good morning Sir, good morning all and how are you today?" We say, "good thank you and how are you?" and the children recite back "fine thank you." Most of the kid high five the poster of Madiba (Nelson Mandela) on their way into the classroom. I spotted one girl who shoved a boy who was teasing her out of the door and then smiled and high fived Madiba.
Their dancing is amazing...they are all little Michael Jacksons! I have never seen so many kids do the moon walk.
The kids are fascinated by my hair, I was sitting on the steps and felt something in my hair, some kids I didn't know were petting my hair. Some of the girls in primary classes get their hair braided by the kids every day.
The kids speak Isi-Xhosa (spelling is questionable) it has a clicking sound in it with your tongue...the kids tried to get me to read some Isi-Xhosa and just laughed and laughed and laughed. And afrikanse...which is not fully supported at home since it is seen as the opressors language.
Good news all the treats have coconut in them! (Jeff, you wouldn't like it)
If the kids want to borrow a marker from me they ask for the co-ket which is afrikanse for marker. I think...
Love,
Heather
Tomorrow we are going to a winery...which is well deserved and I will be taking full advantage of!
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Hello from Heatherdale!
Goodmorning from Heatherdale!
Just in the computer lab with the students this morning, it's very rainy but I hear wheather is not much better in Canada. It is a great lab, the kids are using encarta...and showing me their national anthem.
I went to Robben Island yesterday, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned...they call him Madiba. I also spent some time by the Waterfront, it was beautiful. I have been trying to call home and get a hold of Jeff but there hasn't been much luck : (
Love,
Heather
Just in the computer lab with the students this morning, it's very rainy but I hear wheather is not much better in Canada. It is a great lab, the kids are using encarta...and showing me their national anthem.
I went to Robben Island yesterday, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned...they call him Madiba. I also spent some time by the Waterfront, it was beautiful. I have been trying to call home and get a hold of Jeff but there hasn't been much luck : (
Love,
Heather
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Hello from Capetown!
My first flight was a success! It was a sad good-bye but a happy arrival. I have already seen table mountain, signal hill and Camps Bay. Table mountain has an animal called a Dassie (it looks like a groundhog) but its closest relative is an elephant! We took a cable car up to Table Top Mountain which is beautiful! I can't believe the mountains here, we can see them from Athlone where we are staying. Signal Hill is basically just a hill, we went up their after dinner to see Capetown all lit up! Camps Bay is a cove like area with huge waves for surfing. There are some beautiful homes there and lots of restaurants. We went out for seafood. Everything here is beautiful and i love the palm trees.
Today we went to a market that would be like a Soho style area of Capetown. I got some great postcards that I am going to frame and some bathsalts. We went to District Six a museum commemorating a community that was removed from Capetown during the Apartheid. We went to a market (I think the green market) in Capetown after that with lots of venders selling all sorts of souvineers, we will be back again later! Oh and we went out for Malaysian food for lunch and tonight we are going to a traditional african restaurant.
I have met my students and my associate teacher. My associate seems very nice and laid back and the kids are very cute however they are very active. I think it will be a big learning experience!
The Lutheran Centre where we are staying is very comfortable and clean and the women there that cook for us are very welcoming. The walk to school is short and we pass all sorts of homes. A lot of the homes hear have huge fences with barbed wire/spikes where as others are very open, it depends on the area.
Sorry this is a mash of ideas, I hope it makes sense!
Love, Heather
Today we went to a market that would be like a Soho style area of Capetown. I got some great postcards that I am going to frame and some bathsalts. We went to District Six a museum commemorating a community that was removed from Capetown during the Apartheid. We went to a market (I think the green market) in Capetown after that with lots of venders selling all sorts of souvineers, we will be back again later! Oh and we went out for Malaysian food for lunch and tonight we are going to a traditional african restaurant.
I have met my students and my associate teacher. My associate seems very nice and laid back and the kids are very cute however they are very active. I think it will be a big learning experience!
The Lutheran Centre where we are staying is very comfortable and clean and the women there that cook for us are very welcoming. The walk to school is short and we pass all sorts of homes. A lot of the homes hear have huge fences with barbed wire/spikes where as others are very open, it depends on the area.
Sorry this is a mash of ideas, I hope it makes sense!
Love, Heather
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Leaving on a jet plane...
I am leaving tomorrow so wish me luck on my first plane trip...teaching my grade 5/6's about flight has not given me much more confidence in airplanes!
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