czech life

Been here for two solid weeks now.  Can actually say that I feel comfortable living in this country and no longer feel like a tourist.  We are now half way through the czech intensive course.  It meets everyday from 2:30-7:30 (actually we've never stayed much past 6...) But none the less I am learning a lot.  I can count, order in a restaraunt, give directions, and sort of have conversations.  Bartenders really love it when you say 'pivo, prossim' instead of 'beer, please.'  They love the little bit of effort and the broken czesky that we can now speak.  Class is pretty cool.  There are only 10 of us in each class so it is very personal and informal.  Lenka, our professorka! is the cutest little pregnant czesky woman ever.  She takes us on field trips to practice our czech around town- so far we have gone to the Palladium shopping mall and the National Museaum.  Today we watched a Czech film about WWII with english subtitles.  I am contemplating continuing my czech studies with the full language course, however that would entail taking class on thursdays whereas now Im only signed up for classes on Mondays and Tues (awesome, i know)  On one hand it would be really cool to learn a language while fully emerged in the culture, but on the other hand, after these 4 months Czech will be completely unnecessary to know...So I am still deciding.  

Recap of my favorite places in Praha so far---Sunny's, Tulip, U Sudo, Cross Club, Mecca, Paneria, Maly Budda, Jama (for american sports), Tesco, house parties (Jake and Matt/Anna!), and so many other hole in the wall places.

Leaving in two hours for an overnight train ride to BUDAPEST!  Super excited!!

Welcome to Praha

I'm about one week into my Euro semester abroad in Prague.  I arrived on Saturday, after a little pit stop in Amsterdam.  Amsterdam was definitely a good time- totally lives up to everything that it's cracked up to be.  Met up with Meesh and Jess at the Flying Pig Downtown hostel.  Amsterdam is very cool- full of canals and bicycles and fun people all looking to have a good time.  Hit up the Van Gogh museum, an awesome pancake house, the red light district and sampled quite a few coffeehouses...two days was all I really needed though and on Saturday I flew over to Prague!

Prague is so gorgeous- I can't believe I get to live here for 4 whole months!  I've never seen such incredible architecture- Prague is cool because it is a mix of all kinds- Gothic, Rennaisance, Baroque, Ne0-Classical....everything!  I live in a dorm that is walking distance from the Charles Bridge and the Prague Castle.  I have a single in a suite with 5 other girls.  4 of us are from Northeastern and then one girl is from NY and the other from Finland.  There are 26 of us in ECES and then about 90 kids from AIFS.  AIFS kids got a better deal--they get organized trips around Europe, a tram pass, a debit card for meals, etc...but ECES kids are cooler and we are sticking together!  The boys live in a big suite of  11, and then there are 2 suites of 4 girls each.  We all get along really well and they are a lot of fun to hang out with.  

So far we have just been exploring Prague and trying to get used to the different culture.  Prague is very very different from home and not knowing how to speak Czech is definitely a barrier.  We start our Czech Intensive course on Monday though so hopefully we will pick up some more of the language during that.  

Yesterday I went on a day trip to Telc.  Telc is in Southern Moravia, so we got to see a little bit of the Czech Republic outside of Prague.  The best way to describe Telc is like a storybook land.  It looked like Epcot- except Epcot is clearly fake and this town really was founded in the 14th century.  We toured this incredible castle and walked along the square of Renaissance houses.  Ate a nice traditional lunch outside and then went back to Prague- beautiful place.

Today I went to Terezin.  Jan Wiener led the tour--we are so lucky to have him with us.  He is this incredible man who endured so much during WWII.  He escaped from the Nazis but spent over 14 years in various prisoner camps.  His story is incredible and he added very personal insight into the tour.  (After the war he returned to Czech and met Suzanna, his wife, and our dorm mother--they spend summers in Massachusetts and the school year here at Charles University running our program--He is 88 and she is in her 60s-they are such amazing people)  I had never been to a concentration camp before and it was extremely emotional.  Not the most upbeat day, but Im glad that I chose to attend this trip rather than the Pilsner brewery tour which was the other option.  We toured the museum, saw a hidden synogogue, the national cemetary, and then the camp itself.  The most haunting part was walking through the dark .5 mile long tunnel that led the Jews to the extermination areas.  We walked the same walk where thousands of people spent their last living moments...

So that's pretty much what I have been up to thus far.  It's crazy to walk around these streets and know that I can call it home for the next 4 months.  Very much looking forwarding to travelling (most likely going to Budapest next week!) and learning about the history and architecture of this incredible city.  The weather has been perfect so far so we are soaking up the sun before it gets cold.  

Capetown fun

So Friday was a birthday day. It was both Nelson Mandelas 90th and Meg's 22nd! We went to Robben Island during the day--very cool to be there on Mandela's birthday. The tour is led by an ex-prisoner so you get a really interesting perspective on the place. We learned about the different 'groupings' in the prisons and the hunger strikes that took place to earn more rights. We went in Mendela's cell and then had a tour around the villiage area. After that we had lunch along the waterfront and then attempted to watch the sunset along Camps Bay. There was a massive cloud covering the sun, yet we still kept occupied with some fish bowls along the beach! The night kept on going with tapas dinner at Cafe Sofia and then went out on Long Street.

The next day we went on a vineyard tour. Bruce, our tour guide, took us to four different wineries which included plenty of wine tastings, an incredible lunch outside, chocolate, and cheese. Very fun day laughing all day and enjoying the gorgeous weather--

Today I went to a lion park in the morning- sort of disappointing. Thought it would be more 'safari' like, but instead it was boring and was more like a zoo. They claim to have the oldest lion in South Africa--I don't buy it... After that Dylan and I were supposed to go paragliding but due to crazy cloud coverage we weren't able to take off. I have honestly never seen clouds like this- we went up to Signal Hill, where we were supposed to take off, and all you could see was a sea of clouds covering the sky. Very cool sight- but sadly there would be no paragliding.

Our group is dwindling. The Rhodes students left yesterday, and Ace Felix and Mesta leave in a few hours. Such sad goodbyes, hopefully our paths will cross again oneday but we really live so far away. Never expected to get create such strong bonds with these people. The majority of us leave tomorrow for the States. Last night in Capetown, should be a good one!

Welcome to Capetown

Ok so a lot has happened.
We finished the Global Pact training in Grahamstown. It is absolutely incredible what we all accomplished in just 3 short weeks. My group, Financial Sense, successfully found a target group- the Umthombu Cleaning and Catering Service and began talks with the Grahamstown Banking Society to start mentoring and/or workshops for basic financial skills. We broke down our issue from poverty to financial illiteracy to the lack of education to the lack of effective resource management. Everyone's presentations were incredible. I have faith in every one of the 8 groups that something good and sustainable can come from the hard work we put in. Other groups focused on tutoring centers, libraries, sewing machines, litter clean-up, youth empowerment, HIV education, and computer literacy. I really do hope that Financial Sense takes off. We made great ties with the Department of Social Development and I feel strongly that we are capable of doing big things. A lot of the weight is on the shoulders of the Rhodes Students- Mike and Shazz, but I have faith in them that they will pull through. We worked so well together and I could not have been happier with the end result.

The press conference was extremely impressive- reporters from a few different papers showed up and a few radio interviews took place. Later that night we had our farewell Hollywood party- good times, good times. I can't believe how close we all became in only 3 weeks. I have been blessed to have met some of the most intelligent and inspiring people while on Global Pact.

Sadly we had to say goodbye to some of the local GPacters and then we hit the road at 7am the next morning. We starting driving cross country to Capetown. We stopped overnight in Knysna and slept at the elephant park. We got back on the road and stopped for lunch at an ostrich park. Finally made it to Capetown around 7pm the next day and moved into the Ashanti hostel.

Today we went to the Cape of Good Hope. We made a few stops- first to a little flea market area where we had the chance to take a ferry out to see seals, but I opted to get some breakfast and just relax (it was early) Then we went to a penguin beach- very cool! Who knew there were penguins in Africa!? Later we took an incredible bike ride along the coast- absolutely gorgeous. I guess the theory is true that once you ride a bike you never forget how! This was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. After that we hiked to the top of a mountain, stopping at one point at the beach again. It was so nice to get some physical activity and breathe in the fresh Capetown air.

Few days left in this country- tomorrow we go to Robben Island and then the last two days are free.

PE and Safari

Tuesday we left Grahamstown and ventured over to Port Elizabeth, commonly known as PE. A few members of our Global Pact group are from PE so it was cool to see where they grew up. We visited the Ubuntu Education Fund, one of the largest NGOs in South Africa. Ubuntu means a universal bond of sharing that connects all of humanity. Ubuntu is a way of life in Africa, and this NGO definitely encompasses its true meaning. Ubuntu reaches over 40,000 children with life-saving health and educational resources and services. Their services are composed of four programs: Empowerment; HIV Prevention Outreach; Clinical; and Care and Support. We visited a school where Ubuntu was hosting a camp. Students in South Africa are on winter holiday now, so Ubuntu holds this camp to keeps kids safe and occupied during the day. We toured the facility and saw children painting, dancing, and playing ball. I can not stress how beautiful and welcoming these children are! An important part of the camp is that the children get two full healthy meals- breakfast and lunch. All of the food served at the camp is grown at the community garden on premises. Ubuntu has started many community gardens to provide food and income to vulnerable neighborhoods. We also visited a community garden at KwaZakhele Day Hospital with HIV support group members. The garden now provides a weekly meal for the support group, vegetables and herbs to take home, and a source of income to members actively involved in the garden's upkeep. Ubuntu is an amazing organization. They begin working with children at an early age and through mentorships keep contacts with them and open up many doors. For example, Felix is studying at university on a full scholarship and taking part in GPact because Ubuntu saw potential in him many years ago. They have a fundraising office in NYC and I want to see if there is a way that I can be involved in their projects while in America.

After visiting Ubuntu, we were given the afternoon free to explore the PE boardwalk. Unfortunately it was the first rainy day we had in South Africa, but we still managed to keep busy and enjoy the free time. A few brave souls took a dip in the Indian ocean, but there was no way I was going anywhere near the beach. It was raining and could not have been warmer than about 40degrees... I spent the afternoon in the casino (won 90 Rand!!), shopping, drinking at the News Cafe, and then at a nice seafood dinner. PE was fun- just wish the sun would have come out!

On Wednesday we had our last free day in Grahamstown. The Americans overwhelmingly wanted to go on a safari, so Beth organizaed a trip to Addo National Park through the Old Gaol. We saw all kinds of antelope-red hartebeest, eland, kudu and bushbuck; warthogs; zebras; and elephants! Sadly no lions, rhinos or leopards to be found :( The poor turnout was due to the cold, windy, wintry weather. All in all it was still a very fun day. After a few hours in the morning we met back up for a big braii and some drinks, and then went back out to see some more animals. The tourguides were great and it was a lot of fun- much more exciting than the safari at 6 flags great adventure....

Today is our last full day of classwork. We have a lot to do as far as publicity, funding, and planning for the press conference on Monday. We have made some great connections at the Dept of Social Development and with a few local banks. Today we learned about talking points and how to effectively sell your idea and gain interest in a very short amount of time.

4th of July, SA style

Yesterday was the 4th of July. To make us Americans feel at home, GPact planned a "braii" (thier word for bbq). This began right after class. Since it is winter here, the sun goes down around 5pm and nights start early! The braii was a lot of fun- tried Springbok (some sort of antelope meat) for the first time. After a few hours, a group of us went to a show called "For Letta" Letta is an incredible female songwriter in South Africa--a legend as Ace and Felix put it-- they had been hyping up this show for weeks, so we were all very excited. It was a full band and 3 singers- the man, Ringo, is a very famous star in his own right. They were all incredible- they played only Letta's original songs as a tribute to her work (although I'm pretty sure she is still alive) The show was so much fun- After that we met up with people at The Rat and then ventured over to Friars. Good times, good times, very good thing that today was our free day to sleep in...

It was nice to have the day off. Today was the last real day of the festival so we did a lot of shopping and ate a lot of vendor food. I will miss the chicken samusas, I wish I could have bought like 10 of them and saved them for throughout the week! Also tried Venisson Pap Stew- delicious! While eating a man came up to us and asked if we had plans for the afternoon. He offered us tickets to see his band play. Get this- they are called "South Jersey Pom Poms"! The story is that when the band first got together, one of the guy's friends was studying abroad- from Jersey- and gave him an old cheerleading shirt of hers- He wore it to practice and they decided to take up the name! Yeah South Jersey!! A lot of people had plans to go into the township this afternoon, but Lauren C and I went. They were really good--a nice bluesy/indie band. I probably should have taken more advantage of the performances at festival. I only saw 4 shows--"The Sky's the Limit" which was a play..."Best of Bamba" which was a comedy show...and then the two musical performances "For Letta" which was more authentic African and then "South Jersey Pom Poms" today. The festival was awesome. We are so lucky to be here in Grahamstown for it. Can't believe we have been here for 10 days already...

Going back to Res to get ready for the night- and then off to Long Table for the last dinner of festival.

First look inside the Township

Yesterday we finally saw a more realistic picture of South Africa. It was the first time that we got out of the Rhodes University bubble and saw real people that are dealing with the real issues. Three of the students in our GPact class are from the 'township' area so they acted as our tourguides. We definitely stood out as our large and quite ostentasous bus drove around the community. At one point the boys went off to learn about the bush and circumsion school while the girls were left on the bus. These adorable little children came out and started waving and dancing. We got off the bus and started playing with them. Despite the language barrier, we connected with these children and had a little dance party. They were very excited by our cameras and posed for pictures with us. They got a kick out of seeing the picture immediately after on the digital camera! Everyone in the township was so welcoming and friendly-

The first place we visited was an NGO called Ragen's Road. This community center consists of a few different projects for the locals including a computer lab, a jewelry making and sewing group for the elderly women, a library (in the process of being built) and a place for students to eat before/after school (also in the process of being completed if i remember correctly) The CDP (community dev. practitioner) was lovely. She gave us some pointers--Be patient. Don't give up. Don't try to solve every problem at once. And some more motivational guidence for us as we start our own projects. My group is going back tomorrow to meet with her and see how we can partner with Ragen's Road to spread financial literacy to the local township people.

Next we drove to Makana Meadery, right here in Grahamstown. Makana iQhilika Meadery is an equitable, empowerment driven company. It is more than 50% owned and funded by previously disadvantaged individuals and is as such an Affirmative Business Enterprise. Dr. Garth Cambray is the definition of a social entrepreneur. He is the most brilliant man--He spoke on the global problem of the dying population of bees which directly relates to the global food crisis. While we think of bees as pestering stinging insects, they are infinitely valuable and necessary to our daily life. Dr. Cambray trains people as beekeepers, creating job opportunities for many of Grahamstown's people. The other side of the facility is used for biodesiel research and development. He has created a fuel based on animal fat- which I must say has the most horrible odor. He spoke on the power of publicity and using media to your advantage. Through networking he has acquired recycled materials that are used in the Meadery. The South African government will soon be investing in Dr. Cambrays facility, using it to pilot a program on biodesiel solutions which will power 40% of the Eastern Cape. I don't remember all of the details but I was enthralled by this man's genious and ability to break down an issue and create good for the community. Grahamstown is a town full of so much potential, and it is a wonderful thing for the town to have a man like Dr. Cambray working for it.

After our day in the township, AK invited some of the group to her digs (thier word for apartment) for a traditional SA supper. About 15 of us took her up on the offer and we brought along a few boxes of wine. Needless to say by around 7pm we were quite inebriated and ready to go out. After some people got out of a dance show, everyone met up at the SSS sports bar. Global Pact clearly brought the party! Very very fun night that of course, ended at Munchies for some late night grub.

Today was our first 'free day', which we now know means time to work on our groupwork. My group had a successful meeting over breakfast at the Madhatter. After eating Mike and I worked on the issue breakdown while Shazz Courtney and Lauren worked on the action research. My plan now is to walk around the festival Village Green for a few hours and then we are meeting back up around 5:30 to run through our presentation. Busy busy, but still absolutely loving this trip.

We had two expert speakers from local NGOs come to speak with us. The first was from The President's Award. This is a program encompassing 4 parts (skill, service, sport, adventure) that was formed by Prince Phillip (William and Harry's grandfather) and Nelson Mandela as a way to empower South Africa's youth. There are 3 levels of achievement- bronze, silver and gold. The gold level is very prestegious and the award ceremony is often attended by both Prince Philip and Mandela themselves. Students often say that they don't wash thier hands for week after receiving a hand shake from Mr. Mandela. I can only imagine how powerful being a room with him must be. He is truly an inspiration to this country and to the world.

The second speaker was from the Angus Gillis Foundation, which focuses on rural development. Many NGOs focus on townships and the rural villages are often overlooked. She taught us about the 'bottom-up approach' which starts with community input on what they actually need, rather than coming in with an already established agenda for development. This results in a much better success rate because the community is fully involved and committed to the work being done. She gave us many tips and takeaways that will be of use for our own projects.

While this program involves a lot of work, I am thoroughly enjoying it. The end result will be of sustance- something that does not often come with projects in courses at home. My group is extremely functional, which is very refreshing. After doing preliminary research we met at the Red Cafe for an early dinner to discuss our plan going forward. We have some great ideas flowing and I can not wait to start meeting with the local resources around us in Grahamstown.

Tonight we had group tickets to a comedy show at the festival. While the majority of the jokes went over our heads, I could still appreciate the talent of the two men performing. The room was hysterical- so even though we missed a lot of the content, it was fun going out as our complete group and seeing a true South African comedic act. Afterwards about 12 of us went to The Madhatters, a coffee shop/restaraunt to grab a bite to eat. Taking it easy tonight...after a late night last night at the EQ club, we all collectively need a night to get some sleep and wake up refreshed in the morning.

36 hours later...

Boston-Atlanta. Atlanta-Dakar,Senegal (stayed on flight for 1 hour re-fuel), Dakar-Johannesberg, Johannesberg-Port Elizabeth. Then 1.5 hour taxi ride to Grahamstown. 36 hours later we arrived on Rhodes Campus, and every minute of the ridiculously long travel time was worth it. Everything went relatively smoothly. No long delays, no lost baggage. The 10 of us from NU are all super cool. No one knew each other before we left but after 36 hours we bonded quite well.

I got friendly with an elderly woman who was sitting in front of me during the majority of the flight (ATL to Jo-berg). She heard the flight attendant bring me a kosher meal and started talking to me. She is a Jewish woman who was returning home to Jo-berg after spending a month in the states visiting her daughter who lives in LA. She was interested in what a group of students from Boston were doing in South Africa for the next month. We talked about politics and she gave me some interesting views on South African life. She said that while apartheid was absolutely horrible, she had a very privileged life growing up as a white Jewish girl in Jo-berg. She said that now the situation is reversed- it is all about affirmative action and black empowerment. She said that a group of young white women like us would have a very hard time getting jobs in South Africa today. She was also quite concerned with current American politics, asking me my opinion on McCain vs Obama. She said that she didn’t care who was elected, just that America shape up its economy. As she put it..."When America sneezes, the world gets pneumonia." I have to agree...

The group of people I am with are amazing. There are 10 of us from NU, 10 from Rutgers, and about 20 from South Africa/other African countries. Everyone gets along exceptionally well. The first night, the G Pact rented out the deck of a local bar for us all to bond and get to know each other. The local students could not be any nicer! They always to go out of their way to show us around and make us feel welcome. We continue to find that we have a lot more in common than we had thought. We can talk music, TV, politics, and find that we are all into the same things.

The Global Pact program is very inspiring. It has been very well organized thus far and I'm very impressed with the leaders. So far we have been working on breaking down big issues to focus on root causes. We spent a portion of class time brainstorming all of the issues we could think of-globally and locally. Within 10 minutes over 100 issues were on the board. While it is very overwhelming to see the problems that exist in the world today, it is also inspiring to see the potential that we all have within us. Everyone is passionate about different issues and I can not wait to see what kind of NGOs come out of this group. It is very refreshing to experience a program such as GPact. After 6 long months at Raytheon I needed a new direction. Sitting behind a desk in a large corporation is not for me. I may have found a new calling...

Grahamstown is absolutely beautiful. Yesterday started the National Arts Festival. It is the second largest festival in the world! During our lunch break a few of us went down to check out the festival. We were talking to these people at a table and they gave us free tickets to their performance! A few hours before the show about 20 of us met up for drinks/dinner and then some of us went to the show. It was really well done- a clever little play about an apartment building and the random lives of those in it. Life is so exciting here. There are tons of pubs and coffee shops and places to hang out. I want to see as many performances as I can while Im here during the festival. The town is overcrowded for the next 10 days with tourists from all over the continent. Should make for some awesome late night conversations in the pubs tonight with all the visiting backpackers!

Today our group heard from two speakers from South African NGOs and then we spent time with our group deciding on an issue. We are going to be working for the next 3 weeks focusing on the ‘lack of financial education available for youth’. Now the researching and NGO site visits and fundraising and all sorts of excitement begins…

More to come. Its only been 3 days and I could not be happier to be in South Africa!

Africa in the AM

So I leave tomorrow morning for South Africa.  I am going as part of a Dialogue of Civilizations.  Dialogues are these great little faculty led short term study abroad programs that Northeastern offers as a way to earn summer session credit.  Why take classes in Boston when I can take them somewhere crazy like South Africa? 

It hasn't really sunk in yet that I'm going to Africa, but I assume that will come sometime during the ridiculously long plane ride.  Africa is really really far away.  I have reading material as well as some pharmaceuticals though, so I should be okay.  I have been waiting for this day for so long.  Life gets super good for the next six months.  One month in Africa, 5 weeks in Jersey to re cooperate and turn 21 and then off to the Czech Republic for the fall semester. So so awesome.  

I'm not really sure what exactly this South Africa program entails.  What I do know:  I will be living at Rhodes University in Grahamstown for 3 weeks and then 1 week in Capetown. I will be working with students from Rutgers as well South African students.  I will learn how to start an NGO (non-govermental organization) to combat a critical issue in S Africa from the planning stages through implementation.  I will earn 8 credits toward my minor in International Affairs. I have heard amazing things of Global Pact and can not wait to experience the program first hand.  

After six long months working for the man, this is definitely what I need...a change of scenery and a fresh perspective on life.  More to come.  See you on the other side.