These past few days have been spent celebrating the Fiestas del Pilar here in Zaragoza. Before this week, I had no clue what this festival would include but I did know it was very important to the people of Zaragoza and Spain as a whole because we were given three days off of school for the festival. The festival is actually an entire week but the most important days were October 12 and 13. This festival honors the patron saint of the city, the Virgin Mary of the Pillar (Virgen del Pilar).
The festival officially started on Saturday evening (although there were many concerts and festivities on Friday night and during the day Saturday) with a parade and speech with fireworks afterward. Each year there is a different person that is honored during the festival (sort of like a parade’s grand marshal in the United States), and that person gives a speech to start the festival. After the fireworks, there were concerts right there in the Plaza del Pilar where the speech took place. I cannot even begin to describe how many people were there and how crowded everything was.
The opening speech
There were so many different things to do during this festival all over the city. On Sunday, I went to a light, music, and water spectacular at the fountains of Parque Grande. Later, I went with friends to the Plaza del Pilar again, where there were more concerts and festivities. The main road to the Plaza del Pilar, Paseo Independencia, was full of street vendors, food vendors, concerts, and street performers. Take note that this is probably the main street of Zaragoza and one of the absolute busiest. During the fiestas, this street was closed to car and bus traffic. That alone is an indicator of how many people were walking through this area and how much stuff was going on. This street was also used for the offerings which happened Monday and Tuesday (I’ll get to that in a bit). The ambiance was exciting; there was lots to see and do! The amount of people here for the festival was also quite immense. It was obvious that many of these visitors had traveled far to attend this famous festival. After stopping every so often to watch different performances, look at the traditional foods, and grab some cotton candy (algodón de azúcar in Spanish or candy floss if you’re British), we finally made it to the Plaza del Pilar to watch another concert.
With friends at the fountain spectacular
Food vendors from all over Spain selling traditional food
By Monday morning, I had thought that the festival was a time to celebrate the Virgen del Pilar with concerts, street performances, and fun times. I knew that people brought flowers to the Virgen Pilar (which I will explain later), but I had no clue what that all entailed. I was also not aware of the other two parades/offerings that happened during this festival. There is a huge traditional aspect of this festival that I was not aware of until it was actually happening.
Monday was the main day of the festival as it was October 12. (This is Columbus Day which is important in Spain because King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella funded Columbus’s voyage to the Americas.) October 12 is the day that The Offering of Flowers occurs during the Fiestas del Pilar. For 13 hours, different pueblos (smaller cities in Spain), schools, and other various groups bring flowers to honor the Virgen del Pilar. Some of the groups came all the way from Latin/Central America to honor the Virgin Mary. All the groups were dressed in their traditional costume which is usually unique to their pueblo or community. The groups bring their flowers to the statue of the Virgin Mary in the Plaza del Pilar which ends up looking like a beautiful mountain of flowers! There are hundreds of groups that participate in this tradition every year. The groups were lined up on the streets going toward the Plaza del Pilar. On their way to give their flowers, they were performing traditional songs and dances to honor the Virgen Pilar. Once they finally arrived at the statue to give their flowers to the Virgen, each group usually had another special dance. My friends and I watched groups give their flowers at the statue for over an hour which was very interesting.
Dancing while on the way to give flowers
The offering of flowers to the Virgen del Pilar
The offering of flowers to the Virgen del Pilar
The offering of flowers to the Virgen del Pilar
Tuesday morning was the Offering of Fruit which was is a much smaller offering than the Offering of Flowers. This took only the morning (in contrast to the 13 hours the Offering of Flowers took). In this offering, groups brought different fruits, vegetables, and oils to honor the Virgen Pilar. Many of the donations were what they grew in their pueblos. My host mom told me that these foods are donated to different charities in Zaragoza for people in need. This offering is different than the previous one because they actually take the fruits into the Basilica del Pilar while the flower offerings were collected outside of the Basilica.
Tuesday night was the Glass Rosary Parade. This parade is very unique in that there are glass parade floats to represent the rosary and other themes. This parade was much more somber than the other two and the people were dressed in even nicer traditional dresses. This parade is an offering of the rosary. Most people in the parade had rosaries or candles in their hands. The glass floats were very beautiful and lit up the streets.
A glass parade float in the Glass Rosary Parade
Traditional Costumes
Glass Rosary Parade
I’ve tried to compare this holiday to an American holiday, but there really is no good comparison. In some ways, it reminded me of Thanksgiving. At home, usually we watch the Macy’s Day Parade on TV, enjoy each other’s company, and eat a huge meal as a way of reminding us to be thankful for all we have. On Monday, we watched the Offering of Flowers on TV and later had a nice meal together. A few of my host mom’s friends came over and it reminded me of Thanksgiving a little bit. There is not really a traditional food that is shared during this festival and there are many other differences that make them both special. The main difference is that it is a hugely Catholic holiday which is not common in the United States. Everything revolved around honoring the Virgin Mary by giving her flowers, fruits, and going through the streets with the Glass Rosaries.
In some ways, it was almost like there were two different parts of this festival. One was very traditional while the other was more modern with multiple concerts and other performances. It was interesting to see how both of these aspects of the festival were maintained. I’m sure the festival as evolved a great deal throughout the years to incorporate different aspects, but seeing the traditional aspect was definitely the most unique. There were many other events that happened in Zaragoza to celebrate the Fiestas del Pilar, but the most important was the Offering of Flowers.
My apologies for the lack of posts recently – I’ve been out of internet touch for a little while now. So bear with me as this post will be quite long. These past weeks have been some of the greatest of my life, ones I will absolutely never forget. We left from Windhoek on the 18th, en route for our last and final home-stay on a farm in northern, rural Namibia. We set out for Khorixas and once again, to say I was nervous to meet my new family would be an understatement. Knowing there was only 1 guaranteed English speaker in each home, and my lack of success speaking Damara, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d navigate through the week. I was placed on the Inhoek farm about six kilometers from the town of Khorixas with five other students- each of us with a different family to call our own. (We were on a family farm so most of the houses were all related to each other in one way or another.) My nerves were quickly forgotten as I was welcomed by my host mom Dena, two sisters (Buyela 23, Immseline 9) and three brothers (Sydney 17, Delvin 14, Marvelous 3).
My host siblings - minus Marvelous
One of the beautiful sunsets
As the week went on, all of the young kids on the farm spent time together – whether it was sitting around talking or dance parties at night, I constantly found myself smiling and laughing uncontrollably. Each morning when I woke up and went to use the bathroom (a bush) and brush my teeth, I’d hear the pitter patter of footsteps behind me. Every time I turned around, I saw Marvelous running up behind me and as he got closer his little hand reached up and grabbed my two fingers. Marvelous didn’t speak or understand a word of English, but he’d always greet me with a smile and we’d walk hand in hand (or hand and finger) everywhere we went. This happened every morning and each time, I couldn’t suppress the large smile that overcame me. Needless to say, as the days passed I came to love this family as my own. We spent days playing soccer, going on hikes, playing volleyball over the clothes line, riding in donkey carts, learning new games, telling stories, milking cows, herding goats & sheep, and whatever else we could think of. The sunsets each night were absolutely breathtaking, unlike any I’d ever seen before. I found myself dreading the day we’d have to say goodbye.
Marvelous and I on our morning walk
On one of the days, we decided we’d pass the time by walking into town. We rode in on one of our host dad’s trailer because he figured we wouldn’t want to walk all the way there considering the heat. We spent a little time in town eating ice cream and just walking around. On our way back we took a “short cut” that ended up being more of a long cut, but it left us laughing later that night. Every night after dinner we’d all gather at one house and have a dance party under more stars than you could ever imagine; we’d dance for hours until we couldn’t dance anymore. As I was admiring the stars one night, one of the girls asked me if we had stars in America. I laughed a little and told her we did, but we don’t get to see them like theirs. We told the story of Cinderella and Goldilocks and they told us a few of their traditional stories. All of the young kids our age spoke great English and they made an attempt to teach us more Damara. I think I can successfully count to 10 now. Much to my dismay, the days passed, and the Monday I was dreading finally approached. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to fight back tears knowing I may never see these people again, but I can’t help but be filled with joy knowing I got to spend a week with such an amazing group of people, filled with joy knowing I’ll always have a family in Namibia.
Missing my little Marvelous already
After our week in Khorixas, we spent three days camping and going on safaris in Etosha. On our multiple game drives we saw zebras, giraffes, an elephant, cheetahs, lions, rhinos, wildebeests, warthogs, a hyena, and lots and lots of springboks! Following Etosha, we headed even further north to a guest house for the next two nights. Though the previous weeks were incredible, I have never been more happy to see a bed in my entire life. We visited a few museums in the most northern part of Namibia before we made our way to Tsumeb to catch a bus to Victoria Falls for spring break.
Giraffes!
…But before that could happen we had a 9 hour wait for our bus to arrive. As we sat and waited we wondered why everyone was staring, until we realized there was a group of 14 of us sitting in a median under a tree with lots of luggage. To pass the time, we walked to the grocery store, climbed the tree and played cards. Much to our surprise the time passed quickly and we made a mad rush to the bus when we finally saw it arrive. 12 hours later we were at the Namibian/Zambia border and spring break was officially beginning. Another two hours passed and we finally arrived to Vic falls. Most of the group stayed in Zambia for two nights before heading to Zimbabwe but myself and two others went straight to Zimbabwe. Little did we know the walk from the border to the customs office was about a mile or so from the border. Not so bad until you remember you have to carry your 30 pound bag in the heat of the day.
Once we finally arrived to our hostel the activity planning was immediately in order. The hostel we stayed at was absolutely beautiful and just a 15 minute walk from town. Our first night in Victoria Falls we went on a sunset cruise on the Zambezi river, and to add to our list of animals we saw hippos and crocodiles. The next few days included a trip to see the falls, elephant riding, zip lining, and canoeing on the Upper Zambezi. It’s no surprise why Victoria Falls is one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Seeing the millions of gallons of water pour down minute after minute, creating rainbows every where you looked was awe strikingly beautiful. We spent a few hours admiring the falls and got absolutely drenched from the rain the falls created. Knocking one more thing off my bucket list, elephant riding was amazing too. Sam and I rode on a 24 year old girl elephant named Star. She was pretty small compared to the others and had a short trunk because she was attacked by a lion when she was just a baby. After the hour long ride, I got to sit on her leg while she knelt and feed her some pellets. An elephant is a lot more comfortable to ride than you would imagine, and it was a funny feeling when she sucked the pellets through her trunk off of my hand. Of course, nothing compares to skydiving, but zip lining over the gorge was stunning as well. Canoeing down the Zambezi was loads of fun and very peaceful at the same time. Sam and I got caught in a few rapids but it definitely made it more exciting.
A day at the falls
As I sit on the 24 hour bus ride home to Windhoek, I’m sad to say my spring break is coming to an end, but I know it will most likely be the best of my entire life. I look back on these past two and a half weeks with great memories, so many new faces met, and so so so much happiness. I learned so much about myself and the world as a whole especially in my first week with my family. The week I lived with in Khorixas vs. my life in Claremont and Valparaiso are obviously different, but I’ve come to love so many aspects of each. No way of life is better than the other, none right or wrong – just different. It’s hard to believe that a month from today I’ll be in Cape Town. Time to make the most of my last month in Windhoek.
Elephant Ride
Thanks for reading.
Xoxo
Maddy
Ps- since I was gone and not able to post it, here is what my second month looked like:
This week marks the halfway point in my study abroad experience, and to say it’s flown by would be a ridiculous understatement. Two months from today, I’ll be home. Whoa. Nonetheless, the weeks fly by. Each are packed with studies, but many adventures that make it all worth it. Though this week was crazy busy, it definitely marks one of the best weeks I’ve had thus far. On a high from skydiving and Swakop, being back in classes was a bit difficult, but I managed.
We had 2 birthdays in group this week, so we celebrated accordingly. On Thursday, after dinner we made a walk over to a place called 3 circles, by far one of my favorite places in Windhoek. It’s about a 20 minute walk from our house through the city and up a little hill, but once you get up it is absolutely breathtaking. The view looks over the mountains encircling us as well as all of Windhoek and Katutura. We made it just up in time as the sun began to set, and if you know me you know that sunsets are one of my favorite things in life. As I watched the sun go down, painting pinks and oranges in the sky, meeting the city lights and the tops of the mountains, I couldn’t help but smile. It was such simple, but surreal moment, and it felt so much like home.
The group looking over 3 circles
On a more solemn note, ever since arriving in Namibia, every time I’ve watched the news there’s been a new story of a violent killing of a woman, often by her significant other. Gender-based violence is a rising and very serious problem here in Namibia, and many citizens are beginning to take a stand. On Saturday morning a group of 12 of us headed downtown to “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes”, an event organized by some people in Windhoek to raise awareness of gender-based violence. Hundreds of men wore high heels as they stumbled down the busy street chanting things like “Don’t hit her, just kiss her” or “Stop gender violence” in order to show their support in the fight against GBV. As I marched down the street with all of the locals, I sincerely recognized it as one of the coolest things I’ve ever been apart of. To see all the men [and women] walking and supporting something so important was truly amazing; I got the chills as I looked around at the crowded street.
The men leading the way in heels
Crowded Streets of Windhoek at the "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" March
The weekend just kept getting better and better as we headed to Skybar, a nice little restaurant/bar atop the Hilton in downtown Windhoek. As we climbed to the top we, again, got to see all over Windhoek as the sunset; an absolutely breathtaking view (this place seems to be full of those).
View From the Skybar
This week is absolutely busy to say the least, but the next 3 weeks hold numerous adventures; which includes our rural home-stay in the north, a safari in Etosha, and spring break in Victoria Falls. Buckling down on work is hard, especially when I know all the things I’d rather be doing outside. But nonetheless, I’m learning topics I’ve never learned before,which is a pretty awesome feeling. I should have one more post out before we leave a week from today, so stay tuned!
This weekend our group of 15 set out on a 4 hour road trip to a coastal town called Swakopmund- an area inhabited originally by locals, settled by Germans, and houses a genocide in its history known by few around the world. The four hour drive quickly passed through naps and a stop for some junk food at a rest station we passed along the way. Swakop greeted us with palm trees, and beautiful desert dunes meeting the Atlantic Ocean. Though I definitely could have gone for weeks longer stay, it was the perfect little taste of what the coast has to offer.
Desert meet coast
Our first day was spent touring the beach town, the local township Mondesa, and the informal settlement as well. During these tours we got to visit a traditional Herero woman, a Dama lady as well as the chief of the Damara tribe who is the first woman chief. While speaking with the Herero woman, we learned a little about the Herero genocide and the effect it has had on the survivors lives today. During the genocide from 1904-1907, 80% of the Herero population were killed by the Germans. . . Yet in the middle of Swakopmund stands a large statue dedicated to those Germans who lost their lives, while the Herero men, women, and children have just a small piece of marble dedicated to them on the outskirts of town.
German Memorial
OvaHerero Memorial
The following day we headed out to Walvis Bay, a short 20 minute drive from Swakop. Walvis Bay houses the large international port, NamPort, where goods are constantly being shipped in and out internationally. During our time, we met with a man who works for NamPort as well as a man who works for the export processing zones (EPZs). While in Walvis, we also got the chance to travel out to the Topnaar community. The Topnaar community grows a plant called the !Nara that sprouts melons, which they then roast the seeds and sell them. I actually got to try some of the seeds, and they were delicious!
Me with the !Nara melon
Last but not least, the adventures began. We set out to climb Dune 7; the tallest dune in Namibia and if that’s not cool enough, it’s the oldest desert in the entire world. The climb up took about 15 minutes, and was definitely way more tiring than it looked. As the sand slips underneath your feet, you feel like you’re getting no where, but alas, we made it! And the view from the top was worth it a million times over. Our weekend was also comprised of nights spent on the beach, and dinners spent watching sunsets; I can’t complain!
Atop Dune 7
But the highlight of my weekend, and so far marks the best day of my life was when I decided to fly 10,000 feet in the air and jump out of a plane. Because 2 out of 4 of us were getting our jumps filmed, we had to split up. I was last, but to say I was excited would be a ridiculous understatement; my biggest fear being the tiny little plane I had to go up in, not actually jumping out; I’m not quite sure how I justified that one in my head. But nonetheless, I watched the altimeter climb up by thousands and the nerves kicked in quite a bit once we got to 9,000 feet. As I lifted my legs out of the door and let my feet hang out into the whipping wind, it suddenly became real. Head back, hands on the harness, move as one, ready.. set.. go!! I began to fly. As I free fell for 30 seconds and descended down for 5 minutes I looked out at the beautiful coastline; the only place in the world the desert sand dunes meet the ocean – absolutely breathtaking seeing the earth curve and feeling like I was just apart of the sky. And oh my gosh, I wish I could put it into words, but I truly believe it’s physically impossible. No, my stomach didn’t drop, no it wasn’t scary, it was literally human flight, and I would do it a hundred times over if I could. And.. come to think of it I just might have to. So as a little plug for all the crazies out there, if you’ve ever considered skydiving, do it. And even if you haven’t, do it. Don’t think about it, don’t question it, just do it. It will be the greatest thing you will ever do. Hands down. Because I can’t put it into words, I’ll leave you with two quotes they left me with.
View on the way down
“You must jump to know. No words can describe the incredible rush when the wind invites you to play. You are one of the few, for a brief moment you doubt but the doubt is short lived. As gravity pulls you from the safety of the plane you understand, this is freedom. No turning back now but who would want to? the dream of human flight. you know what it means to skydive.”
Free fall
“Once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.”
To live alone with a family for a week that you know very little about is something not many would describe as “comfortable”. At our first homestay in Soweto, each of us were placed with one other CGE student, but not this time. I was picked up by my host mother Johanna last Monday and the adventures began. To say I was nervous would be an understatement, but we were told this was all about stepping out of our comfort zone.. or as I’d describe it.. jumping. As a few hours went by, my nerves quickly subsided as I was welcomed by a lovely family who made me feel right at home. And hey, I can’t complain because I got to eat traditional Namibian food all week, which included eating my weight in pap .. and I’m totally okay with that. (Pap, pronounced pop, is a dish made from the grain mealy meal, which I like to describe as a hybrid between mashed potatoes and rice, totally delicious)
Chicken and some PAP!
Throughout the week my host mom took me back and forth between home and our Center for Global Education (CGE) house for classes or to be taken to my internship. Throughout the week I lived with my host mom, Johanna, host dad, Harris, host cousin, Martin, and host Aunt, Irene. They live in Khomasdal which is a small area in Windhoek. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with them, getting to know more about Windhoek and Namibia in general. On Saturday, Johanna and I made a trip to her eldest daughters house who has a 2 year old son and a brand new 1 week old baby. Maybe or maybe not one of the cutest babies I’ve ever seen. Sadly enough, I didn’t bring my camera so I don’t have any photos to show you of the little one. On my last night, I was taught how to make pap which I will definitely be bringing back to the states with me. It was sad to say goodbye to my family, but I’m planning on meeting up with them again before I leave to Cape Town in May.
My Wonderful Host Family
Classes are in full swing here at CGE, and our group is finally realizing that “study abroad” actually entails reading, studying, reading, and some more reading. By far my favorite part of my trip so far is still my internship. Working with the little ones twice a week is great and I love seeing the progress they’re making. I zoned in on one little guy named Johnathan who stole my heart. Cute as a button and quiet as a mouse, I couldn’t stay away for long. While working with Johnathan on his numbers and letters, I began to notice that between each letter or number he wrote, he would look up at me to make sure he was getting it right. I would simply nod and he would smile and go on to the next digit. I quickly fell in love with the little guy, but just yesterday I received the oh so bittersweet news he wouldn’t be returning to FHS but instead would be starting at a new formal school. It’s awesome that he’s moving up in his education, but I’m sad that I won’t be there to see him progress.
Johnathan counting with crayons
Today in our history class, we had the incredible privilege to hear Professor Kerina speak. Mr.Kerina was the first Namibian to travel to the United States for education where he attended Lincoln University. While in college, he spoke with the UN about Namibia’s need for independence as well as obtained personal support from John F. Kennedy when some in Southern Africa were trying to have him deported out of the US. If these weren’t cool enough things Mr.Kerina had done in his life, he also was good friends with Malcolm X and Maya Angelou. He oh so casually talked about his Friday lunches with Malcolm X as everyone in the room looked around at each other dumbfounded. But wait.. he gets even more awesome. He went on to be apart of the creation of SWAPO as well as, wait for it.. wait for it… he named Namibia. Yeah.. you read that right.
Our Group with Mr.Kerina
Things are getting exciting here in Windhoek, and my peanut butter addiction is growing daily. Planning for spring break has begun which entails Victoria falls, white water rafting, elephant rides, walking with lions, bungee jumping, canoeing or a sunset cruise. You mean I have to choose just 2? Swakopmund, Etosha and rural homestays are in our near future, and my first month in Southern Africa is officially complete. So with that, I leave you with a little video I made.. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading and thank you to everyone for your constant support!
“Spanglish. Spanglish is the word of the week. It’s tough spending all morning in an all Spanish class, spending the next 4 hours in an all English class, then going home to an only Spanish-speaking household. I’m finding myself struggling to express myself in both English and Spanish. Which I guess is a good problem to have…but these first couple weeks are rough. But, between classes and home time, I’m soaking in all the culture. Here’s a rundown of the last week.
Last Saturday we went to Guayabo National Park and saw the ruins of an indigenous tribe, as well as the aqueducts that they built…and they still work! Those circles in the back of the photo are the foundations of the dwellings. Because Costa Rica has a rainy season and this site is in a valley, they built their houses on a raised foundation, made of stone, to prevent flooding. Pretty smart, huh?
Guayabo National Park
It was pretty cool to take the tour in Spanish and understand most of what was said. Everyday is like one more baby step. After the tour, we had a picnic lunch. And when I say picnic, I mean full on meal…check it out.
A feast of a picnic!
Even so, we naturally had to stop at 3 for coffee. We took a rest stop at a little cafe with a fantastic view of the mountains. We had our coffee individually brewed and took in the scenery.
Gorgeous mountain viewGroup photo!
After our coffee break, we continued onward to Orosi where we saw the oldest church in Costa Rica that still has a congregation. Then we went into Cartago and saw the Basilica. Although we didn’t get to spend much time in the Basilica (because there was Mass), we did get to see the springs that some say have healing powers. There is a legend that says an indigenous girl, during the time of colonization, found a black figurine of the Virgin Mary near a spring. She took it home, but the next day found that it was gone. Returning to the spring, she again found the figurine. After consulting the Priest, the people decided to build a church in her honor…hence, the Basilica. The figurine is still in the church for most of the year, expect for when it tours other churches in the country.
The oldest "functioning" church in Costa Rica
Basilica
Later in the week, we got to go inside the Costa Rican Supreme Court Building as well as the equivalent to the Costa Rican FBI building. That was pretty cool. We listened to speakers who told us about the work their doing in Latin America to address human trafficking, drug trafficking, along with other international issues.
We got to sit in the magistrates' chamber at the Supreme Court.
And of course, we had class everyday. I have officially survived half of my time at the UCR. Two weeks down, two weeks to go. Even though I’m enjoying my class there, 4 hours a day is really tough…But, there are definitely some perks. For example…
This is where I go to school...
This is what we do in class..
Okay, that’s not all we do in class. I had my second exam and second presentation today. Exam went alright. Stinkin’ Spanish pronouns are confusing! Presentation went well. J.R.R. Tolkien…influential in any language. In my class, there are 2 other VU people, a girl from South Korea, a boy from Germany, and 3 girls from KU. They’re definitely not in Kansas anymore…
Sorry. Couldn’t resist.
It’s a nice small group, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know them. My professor is great. Even though she’s constantly laughing at her own jokes (most of which we don’t get…), she is very good about making our 4 hour class interesting. We do lots of small group work and interactive activities. She likes to play games and she’s very willing to answer questions. God is so good. 🙂
Last week I said I was anxious to settle into a routine. I’m glad to say that I have one now, more or less. I wake up every day at 6:30, eat at 7:00, out the door by 7:15, on the bus at 7:37. Then class, lunch, and most days class at the Valpo center. Although some days we have field trips, like our tour of the government buildings. And we always have at least one afternoon off. This is a much-needed break. Yesterday, for example, we all had a nice sit down lunch, ate some killer nachos, and just talked.
Life with the host family is also going well. Granted, it’s a pretty awkward just jumping into the lives of total strangers. But after a day or so I started feeling pretty comfortable in their home. The family I live with consist of a mom, dad, and college age daughter. My host mom is great; she makes me breakfast every morning, which always includes fruit and coffee, and usually some other food to go along with it. My host dad is always very eager to ask how my day was, and he likes asking me questions to help me practice my Spanish.
After two weeks, I’m not only learning the routine of the house, like Friday is laundry day and we eat cereal for dinner on Sundays, but also about who they are. For example, I’m learning that I live in a house divided. If you’re a Cubs/Sox fan or a Bears/Packers fan, you’ll understand. My host dad loves Cartago soccer, but my host mom and sister love Alajuela. But everyone knows Saprissa is actually the best. Even thought sometimes I feel like I’ve stepped into a Spanish sitcom where I don’t know what’s going on, I know that I’m part of the family.
God has been so good in putting me here. He has answered the prayers of my heart in placing me in this home, and I am so thankful. He is my constant companion, since every day has its ups and downs. We’ve done lots of cool stuff like I wrote about…but there is a lot of struggle that goes on too. I ask for your prayers for me and my classmates as we continue in our journey.
To finish up our final days in Johannesburg, we visited St.Martin’s high school in Soweto. This was by far one of my favorite parts of our time in Jo’burg because we got to casually interact with kids around our age, give or take a few years. They were all so eager to ask us questions about America or our views and opinions of South Africa. By far my favorite question was when I was asked if I personally knew Dr.Dre because I lived in California. One thing I admire most about these young kids is their knowledge and understanding of politics, not just in their country, but around the world as well. They were also so sweet and welcoming to us, it was sad to say goodbye.
Group photo atop the Voortrekker Monument
Some of us with the St.Martin’s High school tour guides
I arrived at my first home stay where I’d be staying for the weekend. It was nice to sit back and relax for a few days as I got to know my new family. My host mom Nthabiseng is the sweetest lady and was so welcoming! Subah (my roommate) and I were made delicious home cooked meals that we got to eat with our hands. I’ve come to love pap with just about everything! Visiting Credo Mutwa Village during our home stay was definitely one of my favorite parts. After climbing, well.. a few stairs to the top of a tower, we had a 360 degree view stretching all over Soweto.. definitely breathtaking. On our last night at our home stay, we were fortunate enough to go see Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom in theaters at the local mall. It was such an honor to be able to watch this film in the country where Mandela changed so much. Our goodbyes were sad as we sent Sandile and Loyiso off to school the next morning, but we exchanged emails so I will definitely be keeping in touch with them!
View over Soweto
My wonderful host family
As we arrived later in Pretoria we settled down in a beautiful new guest house, that had a pool. WOOHOO! While in Pretoria we visited the U.S. Embassy , Freedom Park, the Voortrekker monument, and the Capitol. Visiting these places, especially the U.S. Embassy made me really think about what my future holds. Surely not with the Embassy, but it solidified my thoughts on wanting to travel the world, hopefully working as a nurse. Windhoek, Namibia welcomed us with a downpour and a long line of customs. We were so excited to finally get here, that in fact it didn’t really matter. Seeing monkeys crossing the road and one sitting on top of a street sign filled our bus with shrieks and laughter; definitely something I won’t forget.
Our big, happy family
The highlight of being in Windhoek so far was visiting an orphanage in Katatura (a former black township). Within a minute and a half of meeting the little ones, they grabbed our hands, asked to be held, and wouldn’t let go. Many of them are HIV positive but are healthy and getting treatment. Once they got a hold of my water bottle, there was no way I was getting it back, they were in heaven figuring out how it worked and taking swigs too big that poured out of their mouths. I couldn’t help but have joy in my heart knowing these little ones were being taken care of so well despite what may have happened in their past. There were 4 little houses with very clean living conditions and many of the older ones were off at school. It was incredible to see the differences these “moms” and “dads” were making in the lives of some who couldn’t help themselves. My heart broke when we left as some of the little ones began to cry. I wish I could go spend time with them every single day.
A little one with my water bottle at the Orange babies orphanage
Settled in Windhoek now for a few days, it’s beginning to feel like home. This city is absolutely beautiful, and our group of 15 students who hardly knew each other 2 weeks ago have become a little family. It’s crazy to think I’ve only been here for 2 weeks now. I begin my internship tomorrow, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, but excited at the same time knowing the opportunities that await.
So we’ve officially settled in Johannesburg at a guest house which was a former seminary training school (where Desmond Tutu went, pretty cool)! When we arrived the first night the group of 15 of us were pretty jet lagged so we just dinner, played some icebreaker games to get to know each other and then tried to get some sleep. I was successful for about 3 hours when my body woke me up telling me it was only 4pm, but it was actually 2am in Johannesburg. Breakfast began at 8am and then we were off for our day.
Before we toured the town we had a guest speaker named Mowlefi come and speak to us about the Apartheid and history of South Africa. This was exciting to me because to be honest I didn’t know much. He spoke about his personal involvement in the student uprisings and the impact that it made on the change to come. This was inspiring to me to see young people so passionate about change that they’re willing to step in to make a difference. Following the discussion, he then took us on a tour of Soweto, which is a black township in Guateng province of South Africa. Soweto alone has a population of about 3 million people! (the whole country of Namibia only has about 2 million). While touring Soweto, we visited Regina Mundi Catholic church which was a church that allowed students to gather during the uprisings. In this tour we saw bullet holes and broken banisters that were left that way to show the damage done when police invaded the church. We also got to sign the same guestbook Nelson Mandela did a few years prior as well as stand in the same spots he did, so awesome.
Inside the Regina Mundi Catholic Church
South Africa feels a lot like home, a lot less foreign than most would imagine. Despite people driving on the left instead of the right, and the currency change, most areas don’t seem much different. Though, when we were walking around the mall after we got lunch, we got many stares because we were about the only white people walking around the area. I felt like we had a sign on our head that said ‘not from here’ but that’s okay, its funny! When we were driving we also even heard a guy yell to his friend “Hey look, white people!!” We all got a kick out of that.
Following the tour of Soweto we visited the Hector Pieterson museum, a museum dedicated to the student uprisings, and named after the first young boy who was innocently shot by police on June 16, 1976. His older sister paid us the honor of telling us the story of what happened. It was awesome to me how remarkably positive she was about the entire situation despite losing her baby brother. My best guess would be that she knows the impact and legacy that her brother and many other young individuals leave, so I suppose there is a certain peace that comes with that.
A blown up photo of the moments following Hector Pieterson's death, as his shaken sister runs beside
Tuesday, we headed out a bit earlier for our trip to Orange Farm. Going into this I didn’t really know what to expect, we were not really briefed on it beforehand so it was a surprise when I looked out the window as we drove over dirt roads, noting the shacks people call home on the side of the road. Orange Farm is a community small in size but had a population count of a bout 1.7 million in 2007. I’ll give a brief overview of what we saw in Orange Farm so you can get a feel for it. First we visited a recycling center and were given a tour by a wonderful lady named Gladys. She showed us around the area, explained the process a little bit and took us by the little daycare center they run as well (too cute!!). The recycling center is many people’s only form of income because so many are unemployed. While in Orange Farm we stopped by a specialty school where individuals of all ages (17-75) take classes learning basic life skills like cooking, computer functions, and woodwork. These individuals pay to go to these specialty classes so that they can have a degree so that they can have a better opportunity to get a job and better improve their lives. While in Orange Farm we also had the privilege of visiting a project center focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, teaching,healing and support groups. I especially loved this because of the passion people have for helping those who are positive, or have been effected by people who are HIV positive. After my visit to Orange Farm I couldn’t help but think about how incredibly blessed I am to have the opportunities I’ve been given. These people of Orange Farm have very little materially, but they do have hope and hearts bigger than you could ever imagine. Their desire to help those in need by providing services like HIV/AIDS education and support groups, counseling/lawyers for domestic violence victims, or recycling centers that allow people to make money is so inspiring and humbling at the same time. They just want to make a difference. And they are.
Plastics smashed together to be sent off
On Wednesday, we went to the province of Guateng’s capitol building where we met with the two major political party groups, the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the African National Congress (ANC). Since 1994 the ANC has had control of 8 or more of the 9 provinces in South Africa, and with the election coming up in May, things are getting pretty intense. I was really interested in learning about how the South African government runs as opposed to the U.S. The best thing to me about the South African government system is the fact that there are many, many political parties, and even though ANC has had control for the past 20 years, statistics are changing and the smaller parties are even making a difference. Wednesday night we were privileged to see a play in downtown Jo’burg which was based on racist stereotypes in America. I liked being able to see people’s perspectives here in Africa of us back in the U.S.
The group in front of the capitol in Gauteng
Visiting the Apartheid museum was very emotional but so full of so much new information. I especially enjoyed the Mandela exhibit; it was an incredible tribute to an incredible man. One part that stuck most with me that I learned was that Mandela took up a foreign identity, traveled to many countries all over Africa and got people to join the movement for freedom and equality. Last but not least, we got to visit the Wits Art Museum and learned a lot about African art and all the different forms. We were so lucky and got to go into the storage room, where many of their collections are kept. I especially loved the pottery because I can appreciate all of the hard work and patience that goes into creating and perfecting each individual pot.
This weekend I depart for my first home-stay in Soweto, with a family that has a 5 year old little boy and 11 year old boy. You could say I’m a little excited.
Klosterkirche Birnau on the Bodensee! SO gorgeous!
Wow. I haven’t posted anything for so long that I honestly don’t even know where to begin. These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of Oktoberfests (yes, more than one), last shenanigans with the full Deutsch-Kompakt group, some travel and finally registering and preparing for normal university classes, which start next week. I am definitely looking forward to a more consistent schedule. This will allow me to make a budget for food and other necessities based on guaranteed time slots where I can be home to cook, do laundry, etc. A concrete schedule will also allow me to spend more time keeping all of you updated with more stories from Deutschland! Jetzt verspreche ich euch, dass es ein neues Blog jede Montag geben wird! Translation? I promise to post a new blog every Monday (unless I let you know otherwise), so be sure to keep checking back each week to see what new adventures I’m up to. Now a re-cap of the past few weeks and some reflections after over a month of living here in Tübingen.
Bodensee Excursion! The week before the end of Deutsch-Kompakt, our class had a day-long excursion to the Bodensee, a lake near the Swiss border, and some cities around it. First we visited a beautiful Rokoko church, the Klosterkirche Birnau, on the lake, then took a short hike and made our way to Meersberg, where we toured a castle and strolled around town. From Meersberg we took a ferry to Konstanz, a city that is actually partly inSwitzerland. We had two hours of free time before eating dinner together, so a group of us decided to rent a paddle boat and boat on the Bodensee. The weather was perfect and we had so much fun! Another group of Deutsch-Kompakt people had gone swimming in the lake, and we stopped by and picked them up in our boats. We ended the day with a dinner at a Turkish
Museum on the Bodensee!
restaurant. Turkish food, especially Döner, a type of meat, is so popular in Germany and I’m definitely a fan (In Tübingen I have a punch card at the Döner restaurant near my house, and I’m almost at my tenth kebab on the house!) Our time at the Bodensee was great, and I wished Deutsch-Kompakt could last for the whole year!
Paddle boat ride in Konstanz!
Oktoberfest München! After taking German classes since eighth grade, Oktoberfest was definitely something that I couldn’t miss being in Germany this season. A lot of people from Deutsch-Kompakt wanted to go, so we all
Unfortunately my phone died at Oktoberfest and I didn’t get a lot of pictures 🙁
booked bus tickets together for the last weekend of September. Arriving in Munich early Saturday morning was surreal for me. I visited Munich with my high school German class about three years ago, and our trip was unforgettable. This trip was great for remembering great memories from my first visit to Munich as well as making new ones. We arrived at the Theresienwiese (festival grounds) at around 10:30am and the park was already PACKED. We spent the day in the tents as well as riding rides and exploring the city. We decided that one day wasn’t enough for Munich or Oktoberfest, so we decided to leave on Sunday afternoon instead of Saturday night. The problem with that? We hadn’t booked a hostel or any place to sleep. Although after a long day, night, and short “power nap” in the Munich train station, we didn’t regret our decision to stay the extra day. A few people in our group stumbled upon a church with service times posted on the door on a late-night walk around the Munich old town and decided to go the next day. The service had a choir and orchestra and was one of the most gorgeous experiences I’ve had in Germany. I play cello and sing, and I’ve missed hearing and participating in choir and orchestra.
Cenerentola stage at the Opernhaus!
Stuttgart! On the last day of Deutsch-Kompakt our class took an excursion to Stuttgart to visit the city and see Rossini’s Cenerentola (Cinderella in English/Aschenputtel auf Deutsch). Walking around town with everyone was fun. We shopped around and went to a market place. After a quick Chinese buffet dinner, we headed to the opera and found our seats. The Stuttgart Opernhaus is one of the most famous opera houses in the world, and I was really surprised to hear that their interpretation of Cenerentola would be modern (the cast wore modern clothes, etc.). I really liked the idea, but I wondered if I would have liked the opera better with the original costumes. I enjoyed the opera overall and had a successful day in Stuttgart!
Cannstadter Wasen/Goodbyes: On the Friday after the last day of Deutsch Kompakt (our Wednesday trip to Stuttgart) a group of us visited the Stuttgart version of Oktoberfest- the Cannstadter Volksfest. I actually liked the festival better than the Theresienwiese because there were a lot less tourists. The tents were a lot less crowded and we were able to sit at a table and eat lunch without worrying about being kicked out to make room for another group. After leaving the Wasen we all went back to Tübingen for a goodbye party for our friends from Sweden. Their program in Tübingen was just Deutsch-Kompakt, so they are back home already. They are some of the funnest people ever and we miss them here so much, but we are visiting them in Uppsala this December! SO excited!
Oberstdorf/Spielmannsau travels! In between Deutsch-Kompakt and our University classes we have a little bit of a break. Some of us used this break as an opportunity to travel around Germany/Europe. A group went to Berlin and a couple people went to Italy and Spain. A group of friends and I decided
Realization that it’s not going to stop snowing this weekend.
that a hiking adventure and some fresh air before classes would do us some good, so we set out to Oberstdorf and Spielmannsau, two small mountain towns in Bavaria for a weekend. We thought we would be able to hike a lot more because “the snow line was going to be pretty far up the mountain” but we were so wrong. The “snow line” pretty much began at our hostel and continued all the way up the mountains surrounding it. Although almost nobody brought good snow shoes, we made the best of the weather and had an awesome time playing in the snow, had one day of good winter hiking despite some fog, and relaxed in our hostel and cooked our own meals. It was a great and well-budgeted trip, and now I feel even more ready for classes this semester as well as the coming cold weather (in Tübingen and Sweden!)
I still can’t believe that I’ve been in Germany for over a month. I spent two months in Chile two summers ago, and at the time those two months felt like a long time to spend in another country (although they felt way too short when they were over). In the past month I’ve learned so much about German grammar, re-learned how to live in another country while learning the language, and developed more confidence with the German language and in approaching new people (while speaking German). In an international group like Deutsch-Kompakt, most people speak English. It is so easy to slip from German into English mode, since that’s usually the most effective way to communicate with everybody. Since we all have the same goal of learning German, we have to motivate each other to practice, and that is everyone’s job, including mine. I do feel that my German has improved very much, despite sometimes speaking ein bisschen Englisch (y también un poco español).
One of my favorite photos with some great people.
Also, bis Montag alle! Expect another blog from me next week about the crazy process of class registration in Germany! If you want to read about the last few weeks in more detail, check out my friend Sarah’s blog. She’s been so great (a lot better than I have been) about writing a lot and keeping up to date with blogging about the Deutsch-Kompakt group happenings.
So this past week has been an interesting week to say the very least. I started my third week of classes and again, I’m very blessed to have such wonderful teachers who are patient teaching classes that I want to take (minus grammar but that comes with the territory I suppose). One thing that was a little bit different from past weeks was that I started my service learning at a non-profit organisation. It’s very different from anything that we have in the United States, but I think it’s closest to an after-school program, that does a lot more. It was a different experience and I look forward to contributing more in the future.
Thursday night was an experience to say the least. We went to the Opera Bastille for my first ever professional opera experience! To see the Opera Aida by Verdi performed in one of the most prestigious opera houses in the world, is something that I’ll never forget. It was largely unforgettable because of the reaction of the audience.
Aida takes place in Ancient Egypt. One of the main arguments a director must make is about the costumes and the setting. Should they be dressed like in the story, the time period in which it was written, or in today’s time? The director chose the latter of these options… and was very political. I won’t go into much detail, but the worst of it was when one of the main characters was singing the KKK walked on stage. People were not happy. At curtain call, the audience couldn’t have cheered louder for the the performers. However they booed louder than the refs making a call in favor of the Packers at Soldier Field. It was bad. Good experience though.
Friday and Saturday I was blessed with some visitors from Valpo who are studying on the Cambridge program: Grant, Lisa, Rachel, and Cat. We had a wonderful time and I finally was able to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower! It was amazing to me that we were so high up, I could barely recognize Notre Dame from the top, yet from the ground in front of it, Notre Dame towers over you. It was indescribable. One reason I find the tourist attractions very easy to spot and beautiful is because at night, everything that is important to the French are lit up at night; even The Eiffel Tower sparkles at the top of the hour on top of being lit up after dark. I suppose that’s why they call Paris The City of Lights!
On Saturday night we went to the Fete des Vendages. Found at Montmarte, this is a wine festival and a festival of love. Every year they have a brilliant firework show on the steps leading up to the famous basilica, Sacre Coeur, and although crowded (it was so crowded at one point, I moved ten yards and my feet didn’t touch the ground. I was carried by everyone around me because it was so densely packed!) we (accidentally) got some of the best seats in the house. Unfortunately, my computer is being stupid, so I can’t upload a little video of the fireworks, so here’s the crowd behind me. Mind you, this is a small portion of the actual crowd and it took us 40 minutes to get from about 20 yards from the stairs to the bottom of the stairs.
All-in-all it was a wonderful weekend, full of new adventures with some familiar Americans!
