Trip Leader Adam Aronovitz
Hello World!!! Greetings from the motherland! It’s been a beautiful and intense experience thus far in our Southern African Escapades. At the moment, we are celebrating the end of our Soweto experience with a fireside poetry jam with members of the art community and reflecting on a mindblowing week in the world’s largest township. The group moved another inch towards human unity by leading an incredible camp experience for children at the Umbuyisa Art School, culminating in a screen-printing collaboration to celebrate Mandela Day!!! As the clock tick tocks and morning creeps closer, we are preparing for our cross country drive and border crossing into the Kingdom of Swaziland to begin a week of service work with the SOS Children’s Village!!!
So be prepared to feast on the blogging madness!!
Adam
Check out the first week of Windsor Mountain Bridge South Africa 2011 through the eyes of our students. Each student has a bit to say including someone they have met, someone to send a shooting star (a special pat on the internet-back to) and a shout out. Enjoy…
Augusta AK Klein
GREETINGS from South Africa!
This is such a lovely country. Although the weather is rather chilly (it IS winter), I feel warm due to everyone’s kind and open hearts. Everyone is so nice and talkative here. I have had so many interesting conversations with local South Africans. One person that has certainly made a huge impression on me is a young man named Eli. He is so intellectual and knows so many facts about South Africa, America, and other countries around the world. He is also a very good conversationalist, which makes up for my lack of talent in conversations. Also someone who has really inspired me are all of the little kids we have been working with throughout our first week here. So to commend them I would like to send “Shooting Stars” to every kid I have met so far. I would also like to send a shout-out to my brothers (who probably haven’t even noticed I’m gone), my parents (who allowed me to come on this fabulous trip), and my dogs (who like to eat things).
~Peace, Love, and Chow~
Aly Centrella
HIII FROM SOUTH AFRICA! This is Aly speaking. We arrived in this beautiful country on Thursday the 7th. We were very surprised how cold it really was. The moment we got here we were warmly greeted by all the locals. Everyone we have met has been nothing but welcoming. The most inspiring experience was visiting the informal settlement in Kliptown. They are little shack or shanty town communities that were very shocking to walk through. We were welcomed with a beautiful traditional dance performed by the local kids. They were so amazing I almost cried. I loved how they were full of life and to think that they have so little but love so much amazed me. The kids were the most inspiring people I have met thus far and I would like to give all of the kids shooting stars. I would like to say hi to all my family and friends I miss you all very much!! Mommy and Dad I cant wait to talk to you on the 21st!
Love, Aly Cat.
Libby Cohen
Hello Hello Hellooooo! South Africa has been incredible so far with its warm people and traffic lights that are called robots (how cool is that?!). It is super easy to talk to anyone on the street and get to know their family with just a smile. While on a taxi in Soweto, I met a charming man who talked of his experience of the apartheid. We talked about the differences in our cultures until it was his stop. The biggest experience so far has been working with the children. Even with poor living conditions and limited water, these kids never stop smiling or having a good time. Even in Kliptown, half of which is an informal settlement, the kids showered us with hugs and kisses and put on a moving performance that nearly made me cry. In the group, I would like to send shooting stars to Molly for totally being more awesome than anyone ever imagined and lending me her camera when mine broke. Thank you, Molly! I’d also like to shout-out to my family – thanks for all your love and good wishes! – and my friends Sam and Evan – thanks for being so supportive! I’ll go teach baby seals Shakespeare now. That’s about it….
Libbles’n’Bits, signing out!
Satchel Sturtz
Hiiiiiii! South Africa has been absolutely incredible so far. When I got here I was very surprised as Jo-burg looked nothing like I expected. It was very built up and pretty modern. Early on in the trip we went and visited Constitution Hill where Mandela was kept for a short period of time. I learned about how horrible the conditions were for prisoners there and a ton of them did not even deserve to be there. Conditions for political prisoners there were even worse as they were kept in solitary confinement for their whole stay. The culture in South Africa is amazing. We recently went and visited an informal settlement in Kliptown. The spirit of all of the people there was so inspiring because they had almost nothing. They planned an amazing performance for us. I’d never seen anything like it. I’ll also never forget about a man I met named Tshepo. He founded a non-profit children’s art school and he’s there every day with the children. He quite honestly may be the nicest man I have ever met. He’s highly respected in Soweto because of all of the amazing things he’s done purely for the benefit of others.
- Sturtzenegger
Anna Wickenden
Wow where to begin? A lot has been going on here in South Africa. The first day here had such an impact on me, we met with children suffering from HIV/AIDS, along with that some were orphans or in bad living conditions. It really affected me when I encountered this. We have visited many sites like the Mandela House, South Africa’s version of the Bill of Rights, we passed by Winnie Mandela’s House, an informal settlement (such an amazing experience). We have met many amazing people while being here, and such wonderful children at the camps we help run. Everyone here is so friendly and welcoming! It is very important that we see the more difficult side of South Africa as well, so when we return to the U.S we can share the information with others and help make a difference.
-Anna Ecky Wickenden
Ari Weinstein
Hey everyone! If I had to write this whole blog post in one sentence, it would be this one: South Africa is pretty amazing. Over the past week, we have had the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the rich culture, history, and politics of South Africa. I say “hands-on” because we went beyond the tourist experience of visiting museums from the comfort of a plushy hotel; we dove in head first, visiting an intense “informal settlement” called Kliptown where we experienced firsthand the extreme poverty caused primarily by the Apartheid (and I now know what that is). On the lighter side, we’re also having a great time bonding within our group, and running camp has been extremely fun and successful. It’s hard to explain in writing what I feel about this country and this experience, so I think I’m going to leave it at this.
Ari Weinstime
Soo Joo
Everyday at night, the team shares things called ‘high points’. Cooking dinner with the crew everyday was a great high for the whole trip because making food was fun, and eating was gooooood, and feeding people feels great. Another high was the evening activities that we have every day after dinner, which was when we got to know each other deeply and share experiences together- each one of us mustering up the bravery of exposing ourselves to possibly uncomfortable situations. And we do have silliness and plenty of goofiness, which is just so beautiful and arguably the best part of the trip. I really am enjoying seeing us each grow through our experiences together in South Africa, in many tiny ways.
Shooting stars (tokens of appreciation) to everyone who made me laugh. Something I earned from the experience was a chance and an environment to go back to my natural, people loving and goofy self. The chillness and openness of South Africans is really something to treasure greatly and strive to achieve all over the world.
MA! Don’t know if you will be reading this blog at all, but I miss you. J I wrote you a letter, so watch out for it. I’ll send it soon >>!! Do not worry about meJ I’m surrounded constantly with people who love and care about me as much as you do. Thanks for letting me come here. Thanks for supporting my craziness. Love you <3
-Soo Chef Joo Chef
Jacob Senghas
Well, it has come down to me, which isn’t really surprising, being the procrastinator I am. This is being written the night it’s due. In fact it’s about 15 minutes late. So sue me.
But I digress. In short, this trip has been completely mind-blowing. I echo the sentiments of all my good friends in noting the positive spirit that seems to suffuse the entire country. This same energy serves to make this trip truly wonderful, in the amazing people we have met. I could ramble all night about all my new friends, but I will only list the people I’ve spent the most time with: Tshepo (who seems to know everybody- even the Black Eyed Peas), Xolilo (who has an unpronounceable click in his name), Linda (who hates having his name made fun of), T.K. (who has the best facial hair ever), and Eli (who is the smartest guy I have ever met and is insanely worldly). They have made this trip truly amazing.
But by far my favorite part was the visit to Kliptown- it truly put the world into perspective. Think those ramshackle shacks you see in National Geographic during their “poverty special” or something. Then imagine the smell. Yeah.
But I really am having tons of fun, and I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else. Well, maybe that’s a hyperbole, but you get my drift. And yes, I realize that I started pretty much every paragraph with the word “but”, but whatever.
Anyway, I’d like to send a shout-out to my parents, my brother, and my friends, all of whom do not know this blog exists. So… if anyone I know is miraculously reading this, please notify them. That would be great.
Truly yours, Jake the Jam
Trip Leader Molly Ryan
Hello Windsor Mountain Friends and Family! I am so happy you’re reading our first team blog entry. The kids have done a great job explaining the highlights of our trip thus far, so I won’t spend time rehashing. Instead, I will share a few photos with you. Posted on the blog, you’ll find photos of your silly kids at the Constitution Hill Museum posing on cement posts, a photo of the group hanging out in some grass, a shot of Augusta contemplating her 16th birthday wish, a photo of the lunches we have been eating (Jacob and Adam have been eating the veggie options, I promise), and multiple images of our kids with the children of Umbuyisa School of Art and Culture and the children of the Matlosana HIV/AIDS Hospice Crèche playing, loving, and screen printing. The man back to back with me is Tshepo, the founder of Umbuyisa and our Sowetan BFF.
The Windsor Mountain Students have been inspiring to work with; they are curious, kind, and enthusiastic. I feel insanely lucky to be watching these kids transform as their hearts and minds expand. And for all the mothers and fathers reading along, I made them wash their socks and undies this morning and have been feeding them greens and whole grains as much as I can!
Until next time,
Mollywood
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