Molo!

Molo! (hello)

We have class together with different teachers all the time.  They’re more like presentations about all kinds of different topics and perspectives of African culture that last about 4 hours Monday thru Thursday.  A professor, who is also a minister, and comes from a traditional Isixhosa village, is teaching us how to speak Isixhosa, a click language, so when we go on a trip to a traditional village we can speak with them.  Xhosa is the 2^nd largest group of people in SA and it’s the group the Nelson Mandela comes from.  A professor we had today has written 3 books about growing up in war-torn Bosnia and his survival during the bloodshed. He is currently working with generals and head military leaders in South Sudan to help them become better leaders when their new country gains independence on July 9!  The leaders have no education and knowledge of how to run a country and the politics it requires only military education so they have sought out education from this professor so they can be more effective and democratic leaders of the new South Sudan.  His perspective on intervention into war-stricken countries and conflict resolution is fist hand and very sobering.  Another instructor was in jail when being an activist during the Apartheid. We have seen straight from the people affected by the Apartheid the effects that is had and still has on the community, however; I have never met nicer people than the blacks in South Africa.  The 3 main types of people are the Afrikaans (whites), Coloreds, and Blacks.  We’ve learned a lot about diversity and the different cultures of so many people.  There are 11 official languages and such a gap in social classes but the places we have been are very nice.  I can see the ocean from my window and everyone’s accent sounds British almost. 

While we sit outside and eat our lunch yesterday we were bombarded by a very large group of wild monkeys that found our food and us very interesting.  The monkeys just run wild here!  This place is so much fun and so beautiful.