So we went to Grahamstown on Friday to the National Arts Festival and on first impression it seemed little more than a market, which was interesting to wander around but not what I expected. However the real attraction seems to be the shows, of which we turned up to one at 8pm that evening. We just went into the booking place and asked for a recommendation, and it was very good! We went to a dance show called Pantsila for Life and there were only around 30 in the audience. There were 16 dancers, dancing in various style with everyday objects such as boxes, hats and footballs. It described the reality of life in the township, and some of the moves were phenomenal. Everybody seems to be able to dance over here, it is great to experience!
We stayed in Kleinemonde in the 'cottage' of my hosts Tim and Isobel, which in reality was a beautiful house by the sea which they had had built themselves. We went to the beach in the morning, again a very beautiful place...this part of the world is very easy on the eye...and travelled back to PE via Port Alfred.
Today I am going to a braii for someones birthday and then going to watch England v Germany on the bigscreen at St George's Park. Come on England!
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Friday, 25 June 2010
Creative Arts!
I have now been in South Africa for one week and I am enjoying myself! This week has been dominated by the Creative Arts week every morning...early starts and hence a tired evening but is very much worthwhile. The children are all so enthusiastic and all want to be loved, simple things like high-fives, hugs and piggy-backs make them smile so much-it is quite amazing! I have really enjoyed getting to know the kids and the other leaders and it is a shame the week is over...still have holiday club with most of the same people next week to look forward to :-)
Other things I have been up to this week include going to the township for the first time and helping with some soccer coaching. A local guy took the session and in a way it was difficult for me because I could not speak the language of the kids, but I got to help out with some drills and play in a mini-match with them. Some of the kids are really good and again are really enthusiastic-they just love playing football, it's brilliant to watch! Today I am going to Grahamstown which is about an hour and a half away for the national Arts Festival there which should be good, going to the stadium to watch the round of 16 match between Uraguay and South Korea, and then hopefully watching England beat Germany somewhere on Sunday!
Other things I have been up to this week include going to the township for the first time and helping with some soccer coaching. A local guy took the session and in a way it was difficult for me because I could not speak the language of the kids, but I got to help out with some drills and play in a mini-match with them. Some of the kids are really good and again are really enthusiastic-they just love playing football, it's brilliant to watch! Today I am going to Grahamstown which is about an hour and a half away for the national Arts Festival there which should be good, going to the stadium to watch the round of 16 match between Uraguay and South Korea, and then hopefully watching England beat Germany somewhere on Sunday!
Monday, 21 June 2010
Working (ish!) and World Cup!
So today started early-alarm going off at 6.30am as we needed to be at the Creative Arts Week at 7.30! The Creative Arts week is a bit like a holiday club back home, organised by the churches in PE for kids in the area but with a focus on the creative side of things! It was good fun-familiar like holiday club back in the UK! I have a lovely yellow t-shirt to wear and there were lots of enthusiastic kids...I was in charge of sports/games with Lena and we just got the kids running around outside to burn off some energy-variations on tag, day and night and the classic duck, duck, goose! I will be at the Creative Arts all this week so lots of early starts-we shall see how this goes!
This afternoon I had my first real world cup experience! It was Chile v Switzerland at the Nelson Mandela Stadium and if you didn't know the result was 1-0 to Chile! The vuvuzelas were loud but not overbearing, and the atmosphere was amazing! The stadium itself was also amazing both from the inside and outside, and we were sat behind the goal in which the only goal was scored! I very much enjoyed it but my throat in now hoarse from all the cheering! Soccer training starts tomorrow which will be good and again it is creative arts early in the morning! So I need an early night...
This afternoon I had my first real world cup experience! It was Chile v Switzerland at the Nelson Mandela Stadium and if you didn't know the result was 1-0 to Chile! The vuvuzelas were loud but not overbearing, and the atmosphere was amazing! The stadium itself was also amazing both from the inside and outside, and we were sat behind the goal in which the only goal was scored! I very much enjoyed it but my throat in now hoarse from all the cheering! Soccer training starts tomorrow which will be good and again it is creative arts early in the morning! So I need an early night...
Sunday, 20 June 2010
I've arrived!
Hey guys,
So I've arrived safely in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and have just about come to the end of my first weekend here! The flight over was uneventful but had beautiful views of table mountain and the coast between Cape Town and PE on the connecting flight! First impressions of PE are very good-everybody is so friendly here and the weather has been lovely (altho cold at night!). I've been to the fan-park (big screen at a cricket ground) to watch the England game, and although the match was disappointing the atmosphere was great, and yes the vuvuzelas were loud! I am staying in the outhouse of a couple from the church and the couple have been so lovely to me thus far, I feel very welcome! Hannah took me to Addo Elephant Park which was very good-saw lots of kudus, elephants, warthogs, a couple of ostriches, a secretary bird and an endangered flightless-dungbeetle! It was a good day, and topped off by watching the Lion King in the morning which felt like proper Africa! This morning I went to church for the first time here and I enjoyed it-it was similar to home enough to be familiar but was different in ways too! I was invited with Hannah and Lena to someone from church's house for lunch and the food was delicious-we had bobotie which is an afrikaans dish and marvel pudding which is a bit like a treacle sponge but again an african recipe! I had plenty of it too which was great!
I have photos which I will put up at some point but my camera battery is flat already! Creative Arts week starts tomorrow which should be good, but we have to be there at 7.30am, everything seems to start so early here, so I will have fun getting up early! Off to church for the evening service now...catch ya later!
So I've arrived safely in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and have just about come to the end of my first weekend here! The flight over was uneventful but had beautiful views of table mountain and the coast between Cape Town and PE on the connecting flight! First impressions of PE are very good-everybody is so friendly here and the weather has been lovely (altho cold at night!). I've been to the fan-park (big screen at a cricket ground) to watch the England game, and although the match was disappointing the atmosphere was great, and yes the vuvuzelas were loud! I am staying in the outhouse of a couple from the church and the couple have been so lovely to me thus far, I feel very welcome! Hannah took me to Addo Elephant Park which was very good-saw lots of kudus, elephants, warthogs, a couple of ostriches, a secretary bird and an endangered flightless-dungbeetle! It was a good day, and topped off by watching the Lion King in the morning which felt like proper Africa! This morning I went to church for the first time here and I enjoyed it-it was similar to home enough to be familiar but was different in ways too! I was invited with Hannah and Lena to someone from church's house for lunch and the food was delicious-we had bobotie which is an afrikaans dish and marvel pudding which is a bit like a treacle sponge but again an african recipe! I had plenty of it too which was great!
I have photos which I will put up at some point but my camera battery is flat already! Creative Arts week starts tomorrow which should be good, but we have to be there at 7.30am, everything seems to start so early here, so I will have fun getting up early! Off to church for the evening service now...catch ya later!
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