"Children of Fire"

Last week I visited Africa’s first burn charity, Children of Fire, located in Melville. Siena actually was covering Children of Fire for one of her stories, and I went along to take pictures.

It was, yet again, another eye-opening experience.

Children of Fire is an organization that houses children who have been caught in fires in their homes and can’t afford health care necessities.

Fires are extremely common in South Africa. The country is dry and because electricity isn’t commonly used the same as it is in the states, it prompts the use of candles, kerosene lamps, and other fire-prone devices.

Siena and I talked with several volunteers (one was from Texas!) and learned more about the charity and its purpose.

We visited The Johannesburg School for Blind Children afterwards, where the children attend school, and got to meet some of the kids. And boy, were they full of energy!

The most adorable, friendly little boys ever.

The school is very small. It is probably the same size as our B&B - and about 15-18 kids are usually there at one time. There are approximately 10 faculty members, who seem to really bust their butts for these kids. They spoke of waking up at 5 or 6 AM every day and working until midnight.

The school has an outdoor play facility, provides meals and has a few different rooms where classes take place. Most of the kids range between 2-17 years old.

Gardening in tires outside.

Braille in one of the classrooms.

When Siena and I were leaving, one of the boys kept asking us when we were coming back. I felt bad for stopping in and just chatting, and not really doing anything to help the kids. I really wish I had more time to go back and just hangout with them - maybe even cook a meal or two.

It is a really great charity that needs to be recognized not only in Africa, but everywhere else. I only hope that it can expand as an organization and be able to help more burned kids in need.

“Es-Cape Town”

This past weekend, nine of us traveled to Cape Town for a little getaway from Joburg. The flight was only an hour and a half, which is very comparable to a flight from Pennsylvania to Florida.

We all had interviews Friday morning, so we didn’t get to Cape Town until later that evening. We all stayed at a hostel on Long Street, which is the main street in Cape Town for bars and clubs.

We enjoyed our time on Friday night socializing, but the night didn’t end well when one of the men from the hostel demonstrated racial remarks that really offended Shanell - which, naturally, really offended the rest of us. To say the least, we experienced, yet again, the post-apartheid mindset of some white South Africans.

On Saturday, after sleeping in, we woke to a beautiful warm day without a cloud in the sky. It was refreshing considering the brutal cold front we had been experiencing in Joburg the week before.

Siena, Lucas, Shanell, and I went to Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other ANC members were isolated and imprisoned for their fight against apartheid.

Robben Island was also a training and defense station in World War II and a dumping ground for people with leprosy.

We had to take a half hour ferry ride out to the island, which was breathtaking. Looking out and seeing the beautiful scenery of Cape Town was an incredible experience. The rumors are true - it is a place you have to see to believe. Yet, I couldn’t help to think of what Nelson Mandela felt when he was being taken to Robben Island, only to be locked into a small cell for nearly 1/3 of his life.

We first toured the prison. Our tour guide had actually been imprisoned for a few years, because of his contribution to student protests during the apartheid era.

The prison was a shocking experience. I thought I saw it all in the Apartheid Museum, but I was wrong. It was a whole different feeling to see the actual cell Mandela was in and hear about the frightening stories that the prisoners went through.

We proceeded to take a bus ride around the island, where we saw World War II monuments and graves of former lepers on the island. People who died from leprosy were buried on the island, but many of their gravestones were torn down for the building of the prison. Virtually the whole establishment was built over numerous dead corpses.

On Sunday, most of the girls and I spent a few hours shopping at a very cool African market.

We then made our way to Table Mountain, the landmark of Cape Town. It is the first thing I saw when I arrived in Cape Town on Friday, and the last thing I saw from the plane when we left on Monday morning.

We made it about half way up the mountain and the view was amazing. We made our way down as the sun set, which was such a pleasant, beautiful and relaxing experience.

I love the beauty Cape Town possesses, and I hope to return again sometime soon!

"Comfort Food"

Since I have been in South Africa, I have had intense cravings for the sweetest of foods. Cupcakes, chocolate bars, and ice cream are in the top 3 of my list of must-haves, pretty much every day. Don’t get me wrong - I do sometimes crave sweets at home, but not like I do here. Chocolate, for me, has a nostalgic appeal to my senses. I feel at ease when I eat it, as I feel when I am at home.

While on the topic of foods, in particular junk foods, I have found myself craving fast food here too, which I rarely even eat in the states. But yesterday, after a depressing flight back to Joburg from a weekend away in Cape Town and a day full of homework, a few of us ordered McDonald’s delivery. Yes, McDonald’s delivers here - it is quite scary.

It is incredibly remarkable to me that the McDonald’s burger I guiltily ate - although the meat was organic - tasted exactly the same as the McDonald’s burger I ate in Philadelphia over a month ago.

The fries were still as salty, crispy and mouth watering as I remembered too.

I understand that this is all in the McDonald’s corporation’s plan to promote a well-known and approved product for consumers that, no matter what, provides a sense of comfort.

Consumers have the comfort in knowing exactly what the McDonald’s meal will taste like before ordering, that the price will be low, and that the meal will indeed be in your mouth within ten minutes after ordering - No matter where you are in the world.

I wish I didn’t crave such comfort foods, but I will admit they have been a major factor in de-stressing while abroad.

Why couldn’t I just stick to yoga instead?

"Durban is Lekker - for the most part"

 Here are some pictures from my trip to Durban this past weekend:

Spending time on the pier, looking out onto the Indian Ocean, was very relaxing.

Masks made and carved from wood sold by the street venders.

Bunny Chow at My Diner Indian restaurant. 1/4 loaf of bread with chicken curry inside. Delicious.

Coolest DJ ever!

Becky, me, and Dana at Origins in Durban.

Enjoying ice cream after the club.

International Society for Krishna Consciousness -

The biggest Hare Krishna temple in the southern hemisphere.

We spent an hour or so in this beautiful Temple.

Lauren W getting a foot detox - by the end of the 30 minutes, the water was brown!

"Detox Foot Bath ionizes water to detoxify the body and recreate the 

therapeutic experience. The Detox Foot Bath reduces acidosis 

throughout the body allowing it to regain a natural balance. Detox Foot 

Bath is an all natural way to detox the inside of your body through your 

foot in a relaxing bath." 

This was a really cool detox place that Dr. Bhayroo introduced us to. I plan to continue doing the detoxes in the states if possible - it was absolutely amazing!

Shanell enjoying spa day! (fish pedicure)

Prejan took us to Blue Lagoon. Me and Shanell had delicious mielies. 

Not another plane ride! It's OK - it only took 45 minutes :)

An Interesting Interaction:

I have constantly been learning something new since I have been in South Africa, even in my free time.

While we were in Durban this past weekend, I encountered a really interesting, yet eye-opening experience, while I was at a dance club.

Joe Cools, a club located on North Beach right outside of our hotel, gave me a real live experience with white Afrikaans, most probably the children of those who supported the apartheid era.

Once I paid the expensive cover charge, I became surrounded by high school girls in tight skirts and small tops, wearing very expensive shoes. Perfectly dyed hair and professional make-up worn, it was definitely a different sight than what I saw in the Soweto high schools earlier that same day.

Everyone was very accepting of me, in fact, most people were exceptionally friendly, but to those who weren’t white - was a different story.

There were far and few people actually in the club who weren’t white, while dozens of black kids begged outside for spare change to buy some food.

It wasn’t until I left the club that I noticed a few white boys throwing change at the starving, more-than-likely homeless, boys from the top floor balcony of the club.

I have never witnessed humans treat other humans this way.

I was grabbing some food with Nick P and Lauren W, and we saw some of the wealthy Afrikaans throwing change at the begging kids and laughing hysterically. One of them even took a video of it on his iPhone and boasted to the cashier at Steers of his behavior.

As I stared, contemplated, and actually began to become sickened by what was happening, I couldn’t really say anything except, “Why?” Why, after more than a decade of apartheid ending, are white people treating blacks this way?

Although it was a hard scene to watch, it was an experience that greatly contributed to this trip. Racism is still tremendously apparent in South Africa - more than I would have guessed while living in Joburg.

I look back on what I encountered, and wish there was something that I could have done. I understand that racism needs time to be fully eliminated, and you can easily see that even in the states, but it is just so unfortunate that it takes so long.

I witnessed something that will go down in history - I just hope next time I visit South Africa I never have to witness it again.

"The teacher didn't show up, again..."

On Friday we visited Nghunghunyani, and today we went to Seana-Marena, both secondary schools in Soweto.

For a few hours, we were able to completely immerse ourselves in the lives of some of the learners, mostly grades 11 and 12. The faculty, although very small, was very accepting to our visit.

Inside of the cold sheds where they have class, broken windows and doors that barely closed surrounded us. There were no text books or lap tops on the desks, which were crammed together, and graffiti covered every piece of furniture. Some classrooms were packed with students, but the teacher was no where to be found.

We talked to the learners mostly about Temple University, journalism, Philadelphia, and what it’s like to live in the states. Some of the questions they had for us were pretty wild and out there, but I am sure some of ours were too. Group and one-on-one conversations with the students made for an exceptional learning experience, and downright awesome time, for all of us.

American students rarely visit the inside of the classrooms, so us being there was a pretty cool surprise for the learners. They took lots of pictures and seemed so grateful that we took time out to visit them. Many even asked when we were coming back!

I look forward to staying in touch with all the students who are interested, hopefully motivating them to go to a university and pursue a career that they love instead of just focusing on traditional jobs.

Although we all encountered different types of experiences during the school visits, one thing we all had in common when we left was a huge ear-to-ear grin on our faces.

I plan to make it back to both schools this week, and I couldn’t be more excited!

PS: Check out my Hairdressers of the World Against AIDS story!

"Nie-Blankes, Non-whites"

Today we visited the Apartheid Museum. 

As I rolled out of bed this morning and headed down for breakfast, I never once thought about the freedom I have to study whatever I want, wear what I want, sit by who I want to sit next to, or even eat whatever I feel like eating. 

The Apartheid Museum was, hands down, the best museum I have ever been to. We spent about 2 and a half hours in it, and I know I could’ve easily spent at least 2 more journeying through the rise and fall of apartheid in South Africa. 

I entered the museum as a “non-white,” and first saw how someone of color during apartheid would have been treated. 

Apartheid allowed legal segregation between blacks and whites in South Africa between 1948 and 1994. It is shocking to think about it ending only less than two decades ago. 

Apartheid hardened into its most racist form during the 1960s. Ernest Cole was a documentary photographer during this time, producing astonishing photos of what it was like to be black in Verwoerd’s white republic. Cole’s photos were published in his book House of Bondage, which was banned in apartheid South Africa. Now Cole’s work is publicly displayed in the museum.

Cole’s photos and writings really got to me. It is really a feeling that can’t be explained - seeing photos of people so vulnerable to sicknesses and diseases and just downright treated like crap. The unbelievable visions I would get when reading about apartheid became even more real and disturbing while I looked at Cole’s work. He didn’t hold back, he just showed the truth. The black majority was tortured by the white minority of South Africa, for no real reason than the color of their skin. 

The museum had an area that showed what was going on with the rest of the world, while the most devastating issues were continuing in South Africa. Although most people skipped past this area, I stayed to watch Neil Armstrong land on the moon, Martin Luther King give his famous “I have a dream” speech, and much more. It makes me wonder what I would have done back then. I wonder if people in the states really knew what was going on in South Africa at the time? Why didn’t anyone help? Why did apartheid last 46 long, dark years - while everyone else just continued on?

One part of the museum gave visitors the opportunity to walk into a detention cell, illustrating the size and layout of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell, or the one where Stephen Biko died in. Honestly, I was really freaked out at first to go inside. I walked around for a few minutes, tried to go inside again, but couldn’t do it. Finally the third time around, I went in. 

Immense feelings of claustrophobia set in after just a few seconds, but after taking a deep breath, I imagined what it would be like to be confined in such a space for a long period of time. Tears filled my eyes, as they do while I write this, and I walked out - not feeling scared - but liberated. 

The Apartheid Museum is one of those places where you really have to immerse yourself within each reading, each photo, and each video to get the full effect. 

As the museum’s brochure says, “Apartheid is exactly where it belongs - in a museum.”

"Organization is key."

I’ve definitely been lagging when it comes to my blog lately - It has been a pretty busy few days here in Joburg.

I also don’t even have any pictures to post today because something happened to my camera’s memory card and my pictures over the past few days got deleted, huge bummer! If they turn up, I will definitely add them. 

On Friday, we went to the Market Photo Workshop, which is a photography school in Newtown, Johannesburg. We met with other students and were able to network and share work with each other. 

For lunch, we went to Swaruchi, a vegetarian Indian restaurant in Fordsburg, which was delicious! I had a picture of my meal but, of course, it has gone missing with the rest. 

We stopped at the dojo, a training gym in Fordsburg, and found out that we can take kick boxing classes while we are here! I am so excited!

Friday night, we all enjoyed a night out in Melville together to celebrate our first week in South Africa. 

On Saturday, I had to finish up some interviews at the Maponya Mall for my hairdressers story, so we all loaded into the van and made our way to Soweto. 

Organization is key.

I realized (the hard way) how important and necessary it is to be organized while I am here. 

I was running late already, and since I am obviously not used to the mall, I had no idea where each salon was located. In a nutshell, I ended up going to the wrong salon for my first appointment, didn’t notice for 20 minutes, and in return - missed my interview at a different salon. This left me with only one store owner to interview for my story. 

I can’t even begin to fathom the immense feeling of stress I began to feel at this point.

Luckily, Nick C helped me with the video and Siena helped me not to lose my mind. I really couldn’t have done it without them. I’m happy to say I got through it though! Alive! and I can’t wait for the finished product.

As soon as I finished my hairdresser interviews, me and Nick C covered the U.S. NBA Nelson Mandela Day celebrations outside of Maponya Mall. I reported, Nick did the video work, and Dr. Bhayroo produced it. 

Here is our final product, and after about 10 hours of editing, we are pretty pleased with how it turned out: US NBA Celebrates Mandela's Birthday.

Saturday afternoon, Dr. Bhayroo invited us to his mother’s house for a meal. A delicious home-cooked meal with a family that just beams with love is exactly what I needed after such a hectic morning. 

I stayed in on Saturday night to work on my project. On Sunday, me and Nick C spent the day editing our NBA/Mandela story, while everyone else went out and covered more Mandela Day festivities. 

In the midst of everything, I now caught a bug, and having a cold in South Africa is way worse than having one in America. I just want to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather with everyone on Tata Madiba’s 93rd birthday! Luckily I have some granadilla flavored super-c candies and a whole box of tissues with calendula lotion to get me through the rest of the day.

That’s all for now! 

Don't forget to check out the rest of the crew’s Mandela Day stories. 

"Never take anything in life for granted..."

Today was an amazing day. Words can't really describe what I experienced on the Soweto tour, which was an emotional and educational experience for all of us. Therefore, photos it is:

Temple students go to Soweto!

The stadium where the 2010 world cup took place:

Walter Sisulu Square:

Our visit to Kliptown:

Mandela Family Museum in Orlando West. This is where Nelson Mandela used to live, but now it has been made into a museum:

The Black Madonna, Regina Mundi Church:

"Everything doesn't always go as planned"

Howzit!

See what I wake up to every morning.

For breakfast today I enjoyed a delicious baked potato stuffed with egg and yummy waffles for dessert. Yes, we get a sweet “dessert” with every breakfast. Perfection. Unfortunately, in the midst of rushing to get ready and attempting to stay warm, I forgot to bring my camera down to take a picture of it. Tomorrow, for sure. 

Three of my classmates pulled all-nighters trying to get their story about the worker’s strike up on the Philadelphia Neighborhoods website by deadline. I envy their strength to get pretty much everything finished, even with multiple technical difficulties, exhaustion, and immense feelings of stress. 

This morning I tried to familiarize myself more with the camera equipment since I was traveling to Soweto to do a few interviews for my article. I must say, I am much more confident now operating a camera than I was yesterday. 

Working hard after breakfast.

Although my interviews did not go exactly as I had planned, I got enough information to get a good start on my story. I was able to talk to a few hairdressers in Maponya Mall in Soweto. 

On the drive back from Soweto...

Joburg at a glance...

When I got back to Melville, Siena and I headed for lunch. We had delicious yiros and ended up meeting Zach and Nick C. for a quick drink before heading back.

At the house, everyone rested for a bit and began writing and editing their stories. It is really fun to be around people so engaged in their work. Plus, everyone’s stories are really interesting, and I am looking forward to seeing the final products of each and every one.

Well, it is about 3 AM here so I better get to sleep... I fell asleep one too many times today, and I know these hooligans I am living with were snapping photos every time I did. 

“Where are you from? Besides America...”

Last night a few of us went to a restaurant in Melville called Melon. It was delicious! I tried springbok for the first time - it was only seared, and very salty, but very delicious.

Today, I woke up around 7:20 AM and had a delicious bacon and egg quiche with a cinnamon muffin and pineapple juice. I have to make it a point to bring my camera to breakfast starting tomorrow, I always forget!

Anyway, today was the first day I felt stress since I’ve been here. I am definitely still jet lagged, and my lack of sleep seems to be catching up to me. I feel a cold coming on, but I just keep downing rooibos tea and super c. Super c, a South African goodie, is a small tangerine flavored candy that Dr. Bhayroo shared with me. It tastes just like Pez! They seem to really be helping - and are very tasty too!

Later this morning, after we had a short group meeting, I went out with Siena, Nick C, and Zach to get calling cards so we can make local phone calls to set up interviews.

This is a granadilla.

The other day Dr. Bhayroo shared a granadilla, also known as passion fruit, with Lauren W and me, and I craved one every day since. Passion fruit doesn’t grow in the US! It is a small fruit that you bite into and suck the juice and seeds out. Very, very delicious! So while we were out, we stopped at the grocery store to pick some up. Of course, I totally forgot the name of it, and while I was searching, all the workers were trying to help me find this “mystery fruit.” At the same time, there is a language barrier, so me not knowing the name of something, and trying to describe how I eat it to someone who can hardly understand my accent, was a much more difficult task than you’d think.

Finally, a man called me over and figured out what I was talking about. Later he said, “So where are you from, besides America?”

Really though... everyone virtually looks, acts, and dresses exactly the same as Americans here, but once I open my mouth, my identity is instantly given away!

For example, I was making a call this morning and as one of the hairdressers was handing the phone to her manager she said, “The phone’s for you - She’s American.”

It was really difficult communicating over the phone with the South African hairdressers. Everyone speaks English, just not the English I am used to hearing. I’m sure as time goes on I will get more used to it though.

Having this experience as a foreigner is really eye-opening.

I went into a few salons in Melville to do research for my Hairdressers of the World Against AIDS story, but none of them participated in the program. It is difficult doing a story on an organization that I have never been exposed to before, and especially difficult doing it in a place where I have no idea where anything is.

Since I was unable to travel to Soweto this afternoon for my interviews, I went to the Rosebank African Craft Market and The Mall at Rosebank. I found a salon in the mall, Just Georgie’s, that participates in the program, and I plan to interview the owner tomorrow.

The Craft Market was full of really cool, authentic crafts. The salespeople were all so friendly -- it was impossible to walk past a shop without being talked to.

We had a long meeting in the Bed and Breakfast’s conference room tonight summing up all of our progress and giving each other tips for current stories.

Tomorrow is going to be very busy for most of us because it is our last day to film our stories. I will be traveling to Maponya Mall in Soweto for the day to see the area and interview a few hairdressers. Very excited!

Stay posted for my first news story coming later this week!

Hope everyone is doing well in the states!

"Pass on right, keep left"

See it from my point of view.

It is truly a beautiful day in Johannesburg right now, 55 degrees F and sunny.

I never would have guessed it would get this warm today, considering I woke up to frost on my bedroom window this morning. It is definitely difficult adjusting to the cold weather and non-insulated rooms in the mornings and at night, but that’s why electric blankets were invented, right?

This was taken inside my beautiful room at Life on 3rd in Melville, which is located in the heart of the Johannesburg Metropolitan area, South Africa. 

I guess I should start from the beginning though. Why the heck am I even in South Africa anyway?

When Dr. Shenid Bhayroo, my audio visual newsgathering professor, suggested the South Africa study abroad trip last semester, I was extremely intrigued with the thought of working as a foreign correspondent in such a different culture.

Focusing on a wide range of topics while I am here, I will be writing magazine style articles, doing short broadcast multimedia pieces, and working on a longer documentary with a group member. I am here with 10 amazing students from Temple, and I could not ask for a better group to go through this experience with.

Our orientation days last week at TUCC in Philadelphia consisted mostly of preparing our story ideas and documentaries, as well as getting to know each other and the culture in which we will be exposed to for the next month.

I can’t say that I was worried or really nervous at all for this trip during the orientation days. Yes, our intense syllabus pretty much scared the hell out of all of us, but the opportunities Dr. Bhayroo is exposing us to are so amazing that the excitement overpowers any other feeling. It also definitely helped having my family supporting every step I took in the preparation for this trip.

The plane flight out of JFK airport in New York City was about 15 hours long to Johannesburg, South Africa. It wasn’t until I sat down in seat 52 A that my emotions hit. I think it was a mixture of being tired, saying goodbye to my dad on the phone, and realization that I was going to be stuck in a very uncomfortable seat next to someone I didn’t know for more than half of a day.

I realized quickly how kind and caring South Africans are when the man sitting next to me got up, without any questions or second thoughts, and switched seats with Dr. Bhayroo. It was definitely a relief, and made me much calmer, to be sitting next to someone I knew. Our flight left at 11:30 AM and we got to South Africa around 2 AM.

I’m not going to lie - the flight was not my cup of tea, but it really was not as bad as I imagined or even expected. I slept for a few hours, watched two documentaries and a few movies, listened to music, and simply gathered my thoughts. We ate three meals, all of which weren’t amazing but also weren’t terrible. I had my first South African soda called grapetiser - it was sparkling grape soda and tasted amazing!

It was interesting because once we boarded the plane, we were instantly on South African time, which is +6 hours of the US. Therefore, we had dinner not long after we boarded, lunch around 6 PM, and breakfast at midnight.

I, luckily, had the window seat right on the wing of the plane. I saw the brightest stars I have ever seen and watched the most beautiful sunrise. We had some turbulence in the middle of the night, where we all were asked to put on our seat belts, but it never once made me nervous.

A few of us in the airport right after arriving in South Africa. 

When the plane landed, it was hard to even believe. It still is really hard to grasp the fact that I am in South Africa.

Once we got into the airport, we exchanged our money. I still don’t really have any concept of money here in South Africa. I am definitely struggling with the conversion, but hopefully I will catch on soon.

We all piled into the van Dr. Bhayroo has rented for the trip, and quickly realized how close, literally and figuratively, we were going to be for the next month.

Dr. Bhayroo is actually a pretty good driver!

In South Africa, the cars are very similar to those in America, except the driver sits on the right side of the car and drives on the left side of the road. It was funny to see a sign that read, "Pass on right, keep left."

My first thought while looking out the van window was, “It is really brown here.” It is also interesting to see how everything is fenced in, with electrical wires for security, almost at every residence or business building.

The bed and breakfast is absolutely gorgeous. I couldn’t ask for a better place to stay while living in Johannesburg.

My roommate, Becky, and I have to walk up these steps to get to our room.

I am technically sharing a room with Becky, but it is more like suite-style living. We pretty much have our own, private living space with queen size beds, we just have to share a bathroom. We live on the top floor in the guest house, and my room has a ton of windows, letting incredible natural light in. (There are also wonderful screens that I can close to keep the light out when I sleep).

Our rooms here are heated with space heaters. They don’t work very well, and considering it is the dead of winter here, it is not very easy to get out of bed. But, it is manageable with some warm sweatpants and warm socks.

After getting settled on our first day in South Africa, we went to the mall to explore the mall culture. It is surprisingly very similar to malls in America, except I think the clothes are better here.

Me and Siena had our first interaction at a restaurant by ourselves. It was quite funny because people here have a hard time understanding our American accents.

We went to the grocery store and the beer store, and drove around the area a bit. Here, you have to pay for plastic bags when you buy something, so most of the time, people don’t use plastic at all. It is actually a really awesome concept that I think every state in the US should adopt, which not only would help the environment but also the economy.

We’ve been able to experience some nightlife around the area every night since we’ve arrived, while growing closer as a group.

Siena and I at Cool Runnings in Melville. 

While most of us were battling jet lag on Sunday, we went to the Lanseria airport for lunch with Dr. Bhayroo’s family. We plan to fly out of Lanseria when we go to Durban in a few weeks. We saw the Sunday brunch experience, where people come to the area to have a nice breakfast or lunch and watch the planes take off outside.

Everything tastes better here. Even chocolate. The B&B provides breakfast for us every morning, and it is amazing, and also so filling! We are welcome to fresh fruit and delicious, healthy rooibos tea or hot chocolate whenever we’d like. I think I’ve already had about 5 cups of tea today and it’s only 13:30!

Some of us at breakfast at Life on 3rd. 

Today, we all woke up pretty early, met for breakfast, and read some SA newspapers. There was a commentary story about the Casey Anthony trial, which was very interesting to read from a South African’s perspective.

We all discussed our story topics together, and brainstormed new ideas. I am currently trying to contact a hairdresser and ambassador from Hairdressers of the World Against Aids for my first multimedia piece. I plan to post all of my work on this blog, as well as the Philadelphia Neighborhoods news site, where you can find the rest of the SA summer abroad participants’ work as well.

Goed gaan, for now!

PS: Feel free to comment on my posts and ask questions about anything you want to know about South Africa!