Love,
Ryan
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 18, 2008
Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!
Today, citizens across South Africa are celebrating the 90th birthday of the man they so affectionately call "Madiba," Nelson Mandela. Mandela himself will be in his hometown of Qunu with thousands of people and what I've heard to be a humongous cake. In the same spirit, I would like to celebrate Mandela's life with all of you back in the States by sharing a quote:
"But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities."
- Nelson Mandela
Mandela's tireless efforts continue to this day with his work on "46664," a project dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa. You can read more here: 46664 Website
much love,
Ryan
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
The Most Beautiful Blues & Oranges You Will Ever See...
Being here in Cape Town will turn you into connoisseur of sunrises and sunsets... maybe just sky in general. Almost daily (besides the dark & grey period we've been experiencing lately) as the sun is either peaking out or winding down, they atmosphere morphs between awesome shades of blue and orange, with hints of pink and yellow thrown in randomly. Although I never really have my camera with me, I am usually stopped in my tracks on each occasion of seeing the sight. It has become a welcomed 1-2 minute break in my day where I can halt everything I am doing and gaze up at the colors. I can now say I truly know the meaning of "the African sky."
Here are some times when a camera was around (not all in the same day, although they very well could have been!):
Enjoy!
much love,
Ryan
Sunday, July 6, 2008
District 6
I've been waiting on this post to try and acquire some photos from random cameras, but no luck so far. So you'll just have to use your imagination (and whatever pictures I can find on the internet!) A few weeks ago I had the opportunity of joining in on a SAEP field trip for our gap year students (recent high school grads) to the District 6 Museum in downtown Cape Town. The museum commemorates a part of Cape Town known as District 6 that was dismantled during the apartheid era by the government. The museum:
Many similarly unfair actions took place during the apartheid era, but District 6 stands out as an intriguing story because it was a thriving, fully-integrated community before its destruction. And not even solely on racial lines. District 6 was a happy home to multiple races, religions and cultures, all living together in harmony. This uncommon solidarity was the reason the community was targeted by the apartheid governments, as it was a direct slap in the face to those pushing that races must be divided and that certain races were inferior human beings.
District 6 was ordered to become a "whites only" community in the 1960's, and all other races were forced to leave their homes. Most were relocated into Cape Town's townships on the outskirts of the city. After much of District 6 remained vacant for many years, most of the homes and buildings were eventually bulldozed to leave a giant flat patch of dirt where so much joy once lived.
Above: Original District 6 Sign
Below: District 6 today
Since the fall of apartheid, a pledge to bring District 6 back has been made and has (very slowly) begun to be carried out. Houses are being rebuilt, and original residents are being given priority on returning. However, as you can tell from the photo above, much of District 6 is still flat.
An interesting story on its own, but I especially enjoyed taking all of this in with our students. All of them live in the townships where District 6 residents were relocated, and some had stories of people they know that were original District 6 residents. You could tell though, that the powerful meanings of these stories and the implication of what these people had gone through had not really set in for the students until coming to this museum.
For a much more detailed description of District 6, check this out: Wikipedia: District 6
Many similarly unfair actions took place during the apartheid era, but District 6 stands out as an intriguing story because it was a thriving, fully-integrated community before its destruction. And not even solely on racial lines. District 6 was a happy home to multiple races, religions and cultures, all living together in harmony. This uncommon solidarity was the reason the community was targeted by the apartheid governments, as it was a direct slap in the face to those pushing that races must be divided and that certain races were inferior human beings.District 6 was ordered to become a "whites only" community in the 1960's, and all other races were forced to leave their homes. Most were relocated into Cape Town's townships on the outskirts of the city. After much of District 6 remained vacant for many years, most of the homes and buildings were eventually bulldozed to leave a giant flat patch of dirt where so much joy once lived.
Above: Original District 6 SignBelow: District 6 today
Since the fall of apartheid, a pledge to bring District 6 back has been made and has (very slowly) begun to be carried out. Houses are being rebuilt, and original residents are being given priority on returning. However, as you can tell from the photo above, much of District 6 is still flat.
An interesting story on its own, but I especially enjoyed taking all of this in with our students. All of them live in the townships where District 6 residents were relocated, and some had stories of people they know that were original District 6 residents. You could tell though, that the powerful meanings of these stories and the implication of what these people had gone through had not really set in for the students until coming to this museum.
For a much more detailed description of District 6, check this out: Wikipedia: District 6
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Hiking of the Mountainous & Urban Varieties
Day 3 of Blog-Fest! I'm catching up! (slowly...)
The weekend of June 14th was extra special for it was a 3 day weekend in honor of Youth Day on Monday the 16th. To start the weekend off right, SAEP volunteer Liz planned a student hike on Saturday in a cool part of Cape Town known as the Newlands Reservoir. After making 7 loaves of peanut butter or cucumber & cheese sandwiches, SAEP volunteers Liz, Jane C., Asanda, Seychelle, Heloise & Ryan (me) led 19 students from one of the township high schools from Newlands Reservoir into the city's botanical gardens. As you can tell from the photos below, the hike was beautiful:
It was also fun to experience the trek with children that have never hiked before or been hiking only a handful of times. A few just came to get out of the house, but many were excited and interested in all of the nature and outdoor goodness. The mentality behind planning the hikes is to allow the children of the townships to experience nature, as many never get to, and to maybe spark their interest in careers or studies in science, preservation, or other environmental avenues. Some of our outdoor adventurers:
Bottom: Sandwiches!!
Sunday was rainy and grey... Breakfast was had at a local cafe, Settlers of Catan was played, and a trip to the cinema followed... All great rainy day activities.
On Monday, Sanford and I did a bit of urban adventuring. As the ladies visited a local spa, we hiked about downtown. First we ventured through Greenmarket Square, a market featuring local goods and many vendors very eager to take your money. Next we walked up to an area of Cape Town known as Bo Kaap. Similar to Rainbow Row in Charleston or La Boca in Buenos Aires, this part of town is known for it's brightly-colored houses. It was a bit of a cloudy day, but the buildings were still very cool to see:
The colder weather has begun to cramp our style a bit on outdoor activities... Not that that is impossible to get outside, but backup , rainy day plans have become essential in planning any outdoor adventure. (Remember this when I get to the update about the rugby game!) Other than somewhat dreary weather though, I'm loving every minute of being here and am already dreading the thought of leaving in 6 weeks...
Other updates: I will be teaching trigonometry in a local high school next week! Wish me luck as I try to remember sines and cosines from 10th grade... I will blog in further detail later, but the political situation in Zimbabwe has had an incredibly troublesome week. If you haven't read anything about the elections, it's worth checking out... Rugby is awesome!... So is (most) South African food...
much love,
Ryan
The weekend of June 14th was extra special for it was a 3 day weekend in honor of Youth Day on Monday the 16th. To start the weekend off right, SAEP volunteer Liz planned a student hike on Saturday in a cool part of Cape Town known as the Newlands Reservoir. After making 7 loaves of peanut butter or cucumber & cheese sandwiches, SAEP volunteers Liz, Jane C., Asanda, Seychelle, Heloise & Ryan (me) led 19 students from one of the township high schools from Newlands Reservoir into the city's botanical gardens. As you can tell from the photos below, the hike was beautiful:
It was also fun to experience the trek with children that have never hiked before or been hiking only a handful of times. A few just came to get out of the house, but many were excited and interested in all of the nature and outdoor goodness. The mentality behind planning the hikes is to allow the children of the townships to experience nature, as many never get to, and to maybe spark their interest in careers or studies in science, preservation, or other environmental avenues. Some of our outdoor adventurers:
Bottom: Sandwiches!!Sunday was rainy and grey... Breakfast was had at a local cafe, Settlers of Catan was played, and a trip to the cinema followed... All great rainy day activities.
On Monday, Sanford and I did a bit of urban adventuring. As the ladies visited a local spa, we hiked about downtown. First we ventured through Greenmarket Square, a market featuring local goods and many vendors very eager to take your money. Next we walked up to an area of Cape Town known as Bo Kaap. Similar to Rainbow Row in Charleston or La Boca in Buenos Aires, this part of town is known for it's brightly-colored houses. It was a bit of a cloudy day, but the buildings were still very cool to see:
The colder weather has begun to cramp our style a bit on outdoor activities... Not that that is impossible to get outside, but backup , rainy day plans have become essential in planning any outdoor adventure. (Remember this when I get to the update about the rugby game!) Other than somewhat dreary weather though, I'm loving every minute of being here and am already dreading the thought of leaving in 6 weeks...Other updates: I will be teaching trigonometry in a local high school next week! Wish me luck as I try to remember sines and cosines from 10th grade... I will blog in further detail later, but the political situation in Zimbabwe has had an incredibly troublesome week. If you haven't read anything about the elections, it's worth checking out... Rugby is awesome!... So is (most) South African food...
much love,
Ryan
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Collecting Randomness
Above: Cape Town WaterfrontAs promised, here is Day 2 of the Ryan Blogging Spree! Its madness here in blog world, so lets get right to it...
Many of my professors at the Clinton School of Public Service have impressed upon me the idea of outsourcing. So in tribute to Thomas Friedman and all the flat-worlders out there, I am going to borrow from many sources for this update. Contrary to the usual post describing weekend adventures, I would like to use this space to describe some of the random, relevant events going on in South Africa life.
First off, Boots The Cat. Sarah has discovered the true story of Boots, and why she is always daredevil-style jumping into our house. (Boots is currently sleeping under my bed inside of my backpack.) Check out her Boots blog post here: The Story of Boots!
Second, on Monday June 16th, South Africa celebrated Youth Day, a national holiday dedicated to the memory of thousands of students that were killed during peaceful protests for equal education in the apartheid era. My classmate Marquita Little, who is serving at the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy outside of Johannesburg, recently sent an update to our students and faculty about Youth Day that I feel summed everything up very well. Here is a snippet of what she wrote:
"Youth Day – June 16, 1976.
In September 2007 we were all there for the historic celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the integration of Central High. Central High was integrated on 1957 and nine brave students changed a nation. They were ridiculed, spit on and shoved, but they marched on. Central High was integrated. Almost 20 years later students in Soweto made the same attempt. In addition to a separate school system for blacks, the decision was made that all instruction would be given in Afrikaans. In the face of an already inadequate education students would now be forced to learn in a language that their ethnic group did not speak. On June 16, 1976 the students of Soweto organized for a peaceful protest. What was intended as a peaceful protest ended with the deaths of thousands of students (the youngest reported to be 8 years old) when the police begin to open fire on them. Many recounted stories of the green car that road around pointing a rifle and randomly firing the gun at groups of students. Two nations. Twenty years apart. One history. One purpose. All in the name of equal education.
Today I learned a lot. I learned more about the horrible impact of apartheid and how its continuing to affect lives even today (which is not surprising since it was not outlawed until 1994). We celebrated Youth Day and discussed the true value of education…an education that many died for today’s youth to have. I also had a wonderful visit with Molly Banks the creator of the documentary Testing Hope that chronicles the lives of South Africans preparing for the matriculation exam. It’s an exam that must be taken after completing grade 12 and the score basically determines what your lot in life will be. The lowest scoring students won’t attend college and will most likely work as laborers. All South African youth take the same exam, but they don’t all get the same education. Many of the schools located in black townships have inadequate facilities, little supplies and no access to technology. These students’ chances of making it are slim to none. Two of the students from the documentary were also present. The both passed and are attending college."
And finally I'll give you the "Ryan Driving in South Africa Update." As I have mentioned, driving takes place on the left side of the road here. Surprisingly, its pretty easy to drive on the wrong side of the road when no other cars are coming. Usually Sanford and I barter with Heloise to let us drive her car- for an unsupervised drive, all we must do is pass the grocery store and buy her some chocolate. This seems to work out well for all parties involved... Here is a post (and song) from Sanford about our last driving experience: We are Bad Drivers!
* A quick update: since this night, I have also successfully driven on the highway! Still no idea whether or not my California Driver's License will do anything if I'm pulled over...
Back to the usual format with pictures on the next post.
much love,
Ryan
Monday, June 23, 2008
2 weekends ago... (catching up!)
Wine Tasting, Tree Climbing, & Experiencing History...
I know, I know... I haven't blogged in 11 days, and am now 2 weekends behind on stories. So to make it up to the few blog fans I have out there, I'm going on a blogging spree! I'm promising one blog entry a day, for the next 3 days! Or Buy 1 - Get 2 Free, whichever you prefer... Extra sorries to Mr. Russ Swearingen, as he has declared his love for Boots the Cat stories on his blog and I haven't provided any recently. Your luck is about to change, buddy!
So this update goes back to the lovely weekend of June 7th - 8th. Sanford's wife Amanda was just beginning a 2-week stay, the weather had officially become "chilly to freezing," and six South African resident-tourists set out for a weekend of adventure (those six being Sarah, Sanford, Amanda, Heloise, Pauline, & Ryan.) First stop was another trip through Muizenberg Beach and Kalk Bay for some amazing lunch and pictures:
Top: Scouting the perfect picture, Kalk Bay
Bottom: The picture! Kalk Bay
Following lunch, we headed out to Constantia for a wine-tasting and the beautiful views of the vineyard and mountains at Groot Constantia. South African wine is already fantastic (although you shouldn't take my word, I can't smell) but the Groot is great! (not an official slogan) The sun was heading down as we left, so photo guru Sarah led an impromptu tree climbing session to capture some great shots of the scenery:
Top, Middle, & Bottom: Awesome
The next morning we woke up for a tour of Robben Island, the former island prison of the coast of Cape Town where Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners fighting apartheid were held. The tour is a fantastic and saddening learning opportunity, as you are led through the facilities by a former political prisoner and told the horror stories of the prison and the apartheid-era.
Top: Political Prisoner Museum at ferry dock
Middle: Prison Entry
Middle # 2: Buildings
Middle # 3: Nelson Mandela's jail cell
Bottom: Guided Tour
The stories of what the prisoners endured, and how they maintained their strength and unity through such hard times are very inspiring. Two of my favorites were the secret cave teaching lessons, and the tennis ball information-pass. Prisoners were forced to mine limestone during their sentences for 8 hours a day. During these work sessions, the prisoners would sneak into a nearby cave for "breaks," in which they would hold classes for fellow prisoners in a variety of topics. Knowing that knowledge was power, the prisoners maintained the ability to learn and teach each other although it was strictly forbidden. The tennis ball info-pass involved recreation time, in which tennis was allowed. In order to communicate news or messages with other sections of the prison, tennis balls were cut open and filled with information. They were then "accidentally" hit into the next prison yard, where they were opened, re-filled, and sent back.
Another cool story involved the pile of rocks pictured above. After all of the political prisoners had been released, and Robben Island was turned into a national historic site and tour, a ceremony was held for Nelson Mandela and all of his comrades that had served time at Robben Island. After the ceremony concluded, without saying a word to anyone, Mandela walked into the limestone mines, picked a rock out of the hills, and set it in the middle of this walkway. Also without saying a word, each fellow political prisoner followed Mandela's lead and selected a rock to stack. The end result was this pile, a symbol of the solidarity of those imprisoned on Robben Island over the many years.
The other great (& windy) part of the tour was the boat ride to and from the island. Although very rocky, it provided for some amazing views of Cape Town from the ocean:
And finally, my favorite picture of the weekend:
The sunset over a busy, Camp's Bay street. Yep, I live here. Pretty great...
Next time on Ryan's Blog... Surgery at 12 Cambridge Rd., Youth Day, and the true story of Boots the Cat! Stay tuned!
much love,
Ryan
I know, I know... I haven't blogged in 11 days, and am now 2 weekends behind on stories. So to make it up to the few blog fans I have out there, I'm going on a blogging spree! I'm promising one blog entry a day, for the next 3 days! Or Buy 1 - Get 2 Free, whichever you prefer... Extra sorries to Mr. Russ Swearingen, as he has declared his love for Boots the Cat stories on his blog and I haven't provided any recently. Your luck is about to change, buddy!
So this update goes back to the lovely weekend of June 7th - 8th. Sanford's wife Amanda was just beginning a 2-week stay, the weather had officially become "chilly to freezing," and six South African resident-tourists set out for a weekend of adventure (those six being Sarah, Sanford, Amanda, Heloise, Pauline, & Ryan.) First stop was another trip through Muizenberg Beach and Kalk Bay for some amazing lunch and pictures:
Top: Scouting the perfect picture, Kalk BayBottom: The picture! Kalk Bay
Following lunch, we headed out to Constantia for a wine-tasting and the beautiful views of the vineyard and mountains at Groot Constantia. South African wine is already fantastic (although you shouldn't take my word, I can't smell) but the Groot is great! (not an official slogan) The sun was heading down as we left, so photo guru Sarah led an impromptu tree climbing session to capture some great shots of the scenery:
Top, Middle, & Bottom: AwesomeThe next morning we woke up for a tour of Robben Island, the former island prison of the coast of Cape Town where Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners fighting apartheid were held. The tour is a fantastic and saddening learning opportunity, as you are led through the facilities by a former political prisoner and told the horror stories of the prison and the apartheid-era.
Top: Political Prisoner Museum at ferry dockMiddle: Prison Entry
Middle # 2: Buildings
Middle # 3: Nelson Mandela's jail cell
Bottom: Guided Tour
The stories of what the prisoners endured, and how they maintained their strength and unity through such hard times are very inspiring. Two of my favorites were the secret cave teaching lessons, and the tennis ball information-pass. Prisoners were forced to mine limestone during their sentences for 8 hours a day. During these work sessions, the prisoners would sneak into a nearby cave for "breaks," in which they would hold classes for fellow prisoners in a variety of topics. Knowing that knowledge was power, the prisoners maintained the ability to learn and teach each other although it was strictly forbidden. The tennis ball info-pass involved recreation time, in which tennis was allowed. In order to communicate news or messages with other sections of the prison, tennis balls were cut open and filled with information. They were then "accidentally" hit into the next prison yard, where they were opened, re-filled, and sent back.
Another cool story involved the pile of rocks pictured above. After all of the political prisoners had been released, and Robben Island was turned into a national historic site and tour, a ceremony was held for Nelson Mandela and all of his comrades that had served time at Robben Island. After the ceremony concluded, without saying a word to anyone, Mandela walked into the limestone mines, picked a rock out of the hills, and set it in the middle of this walkway. Also without saying a word, each fellow political prisoner followed Mandela's lead and selected a rock to stack. The end result was this pile, a symbol of the solidarity of those imprisoned on Robben Island over the many years.The other great (& windy) part of the tour was the boat ride to and from the island. Although very rocky, it provided for some amazing views of Cape Town from the ocean:
And finally, my favorite picture of the weekend:
The sunset over a busy, Camp's Bay street. Yep, I live here. Pretty great...
Next time on Ryan's Blog... Surgery at 12 Cambridge Rd., Youth Day, and the true story of Boots the Cat! Stay tuned!
much love,
Ryan
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