Wednesday in Africa

Today began with a lovely breakfast buffet, followed by five speakers. We had a briefing about what to expect in this country, we learned about the history, culture, and peoples, and we soaked up some research findings about teachers, teaching practices and assessment in South Africa. It was all very interesting, but would have been so much better if we'd had a real-live context to go with it. In other words (yawn! oh, sorry, did I say that out loud?!), by 1 p.m. we still had not stepped foot outside the door of ourhotel. Where IS Johannesburg?

We made up for it when we went to eat lunch at Gramadoelas (Khoi-San for African Valhalla) Restaurant, and then took another bus ride to Soweto where we visited with staff from the U.S. Embassy at the Rosa Parks library, drove past Winnie Mandela's home, and walked down Vilaka, the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners have lived. Desmond Tutu still lives there and Nelson Mandela's former home has been turned into a museum.

And tonight, we talked our bus driver and guide into taking us to Naitonal Stadium to watch South Africa vs. Ghana! We bundled up in as many warm clothes as we could find in our suitcases, and experienced a football game in South Africa, complete with vuvuzela accompaniment! It was magnificent! And we won!

A Week from Today . . .

After six months of planning, learning and anticipation, a week from today I'll be on my way to South Africa! I'm joining a People to People professional delegation on a ten-day visit to Johannesburg and Cape Town. Unbelievable.

I look forward to exchanging ideas and information about Language and Literacy Education with counterparts, to immersing myself in the culture of this remarkable country, to viewing the beautiful landscape, to visiting historical sites, and to experiencing the sights and sounds and tastes of Africa. Amazing.

So as this weeks moves on, I'll need to finally come to a conclusion about what type of clothing one wears as an August winter evolves into spring, what exactly one does on a 19-hour plane ride, and if I've actually remembered to take care of all the details about leaving familiar surroundings behind to take off once again into the unknown. Exciting.