Aimee filling up the hours as time flies by

Another post and yet another week has gone by. Past Cape Town participants warned us that March really does move faster than you expect it to. Teaching at the Homestead has been at a different pace these past two weeks because of exams. The high school students at City Mission have been preparing for exam week and teachers have been frantically preparing the exams. The learners come to school each day of the week and take one test for a few hours then go home early. I prepared my own English exam for some of the younger learners at the Homestead and I was so proud at how well they were able to complete the exam with minimal assistance. It was a review of everything we learned thus far including vowels, prepositions and consonant sounds.

I am still trying to learn words and phrases in Afrikaans which is spoken by most of the boys. Some of them can speak two, three, four or even five languages. A few of the students are from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are very dedicated to paying attention and learning. It is incredible to hear the boys’ stories and learn from the way they interact with one another. The youngest learner of the class has become very interested in taking pictures with my camera during morning “workout” sessions with Sir Alan. The exercise activities in the mornings instead of afternoons seem to be improving how the learners focus during lessons. I am beginning to realize the struggles that are involved with staying motivated to receive an education. There are too many factors that inhibit and distract the learners from continuing to go to class and learning. I know that I have taken education for granted most of my life and therefore my education may have even suffered because of it. Those who want to learn WILL learn no matter what the odds are against them. It just may be a long road to discover the difference education makes in one’s life.

Another friend Carl from the Uconn crew celebrated his 21^st birthday here in Cape Town! We all went to Mama Africa in town and enjoyed delicious food and a great atmosphere of lively music and dancing. I was also able to attend my first rugby game at UCT this week and take part in the energy and excitement of the beloved sport of South Africa. Over the weekend we met up with our “little sisters” for a day in the city. We took part in the Arts Festival and went to the Planetarium. We ate at a faster than fast food sushi place then headed back home to relax before going to the carnival in Green Point. The floats were magnificent and DJs at the end kept us dancing until we were too sore to keep moving. The young ladies are amazing people and I feel so honored to be able to enjoy Town life with them. In place of class this week we went to the Book Lounge for an evening of refreshments, conversations, and human rights films. It was a nice change to see how locals view human rights and talk with one another in a relaxed setting. The problems are endless, but the resilience, faith, joy, and possibilities are also endless in this country.

As I have mentioned before, it is a constant struggle to have amazing experiences in Cape Town while being mindful of the suffering of so many people around me. It has been rewarding to discuss this issue with peers as many of us are contemplating the same ideas. Will I be able to leave my mark and learn from others while still accomplishing all of the fun things I want to do? Having a more open and humble perspective relieves some of the pressures of living in South Africa for such a short amount of time. I hope everyone back home enjoyed St. Patrick’s Day and I’m sure you agree it was nice to have the holiday fall on a Sunday. I also hope my friends from Uconn had a relaxing, fun, and safe Spring Break. I am excitedly awaiting this upcoming Holy Week and experiencing it in another country for the first time. Peace and love to all!