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Sunday June 17, 2018

Hi all,

After lots of travel over the last 48 hours, we had a great first day as a group in Tanzania! We got to have our first breakfast here and we spent a couple of hours going over the ground rules for our trip. After fried chicken and rice for lunch, we departed for the city of Moshi to buy fabrics for personalized clothing and to explore the colorful markets! After dinner we continued getting to know each other through leadership activities as well as meeting with our mentor groups for the first time! It’s been an exhausting and exciting day. We are really enjoying ourselves so far and we’re eager for the days to come!

-Kathryn Galvin & David Dixon

Monday June 18, 2018

After waking up and eating breakfast this morning, the tailor came and took measurements for those of us who bought fabric at the market yesterday. We then expanded our Swahili vocabulary by learning new phases and speaking with a local teacher about the history of Tanzania. When lunch came around, we got a chance to meet with the local families and learn about their lives. The families then welcomed us into their homes where we gained a new perspective about how people live. Many of us spent the day observing the beauty of Moshi and dancing with out host families! We ended the day with a lot of “asante” or “thank yous” and lots of friendly hugs! We look forward to meeting the school children tomorrow and further submersing ourselves in Tanzanian culture.

– Alex (john) Ivey & Katherine Eynon

Tuesday June 19, 2018

Today was our first trip to the local schools! We participated in fun introductory games like “Red Light, Green Light” and “If your happy and you know it clap your hands!” After our time in the classroom we started the physical labor portion of our service. We sanded down one classroom and began repairing the floors of another, it was hard work, but rewarding in the end! After dinner we got to listen to a very important person, Mama Simba. She began Experience Tanzania and has partnered with GLA for 10+ years to share here experiences and opportunities with international students. She’s incredibly inspirational and hardworking. We ended the night with “When I say GLA” you say “WE ARE LEADERS!”

– Haley Hintz & Tara Neyssari

Wednesday June 20, 2018

Today we taught our first lesson to the local kids! The first day went really well and the students were very excited to see us! After a successful hour of teaching we later continued our pick-axing and sanding jobs from the previous day to improve several classrooms. We then returned to home base and had a delicious meal cooked by Mama D the chef! The groups later split up and one half went to make unique Batik fabric paintings (a 4-hour process!) while the others stayed to learn traditional Tanzanian cooking methods. Overall we had a fun, action-packed day!

– Reet Oberoi & Stephanie van Scriver

Thursday June 21, 2018

Yesterday started off with the sun was shining and a bright blue sky. We woke up early for breakfast at 7:30. After planning our lessons, we made our 10 minute walk to Moshi Primary School and taught our eager students! At recess we played with lots of children, we also were blown away by the amazing acrobatic flips some of the older male students performed! They merely flipped off a large rock and spun full circle in the air, it was crazy!!! (And all of it they learned by themselves!) After a quick change and snack which kept us energized for our service we primed the class walls and laid out a smooth concrete floor. Soon after the sweat evaporated, we made our walk to home base where Mama D made us a delicious lunch of enchiladas, fruit salad and lentils for Rocky’s 27th birthday (our international director). Then we had a speaker come and talk to use about female gentile mutilation. The discussion was very eye opening about horrors going on in other countries. It was fascinating, yet devastating. We then had the opportunity to support the NAFGEM cause by buying items made personally by those who were rescued.

Then after the afternoon heat had died down, we went to the coffee farm in 2 groups of 12. We were met the by the Chagga Dancers and everyone there was a little timid to join but we all got to join in and bang the drum. After experiencing the amazing dance, the boys showed us/explained the process. We got to pick the red berries from the beautiful jungle with both banana trees and the coffee plants. We saw the beans get peeled and they mashed them up with the “Tawnga” song where the workers danced and sang. Then we sifted which Agape (our local director) NAILED. We then roasted the beans with another amazing song and dance. Next we beat them again to make a powder that we burned to make amazing coffee. Then we got to try an amazing cup of coffee and after another dance from the mamas, we finally left to go back to base. After some free time we had a delicious dinner of pasta and meat. We had some more free time before doing an emotional circle where we got to know each other a lot better. Then we had cake shaped like a present for a final celebration of Racquel’s birthday. We had some free time and got to stay up a little later than normal. Overall the day was really fun and the hottest/dryest we’ve had yet!”

– Caroline Lewis and Minty (Clementine) Wilson

Friday June 22, 2018

Today was a great day!! We started off with teaching at the Moshi Primary School; it was so much fun as always! We ended all of our classes with a big dance party during the students’ free time. After that we started our service where we split into groups to paint a school-room and lay some concrete. We learned how to mix and lay our own concrete with just a few shovels and water – no machinery! We are already able to see the differences we have made at the school.

In the afternoon we visited the Tuleeni Orphanage just down the road. This is the orphanage that one of our guest speakers – Julian, a previous GLA student – had volunteered at and then started his own, separate foundation to help children in need (and he’s only 21 years old!) While at the orphanage we got to play with the children and get to know everyone a little bit better. Seeing the orphanage and the children that have been adopted was definitely inspiring and eye-opening. You could really feel the love and the dedication that people have put into the orphanage and the childrens’ lives.

– Drew Harris & Maria Baaima

Sunday June 24, 2018

We had an early morning, with breakfast at 6:30 so we could get an early start on our 5 hour drive to the first day of our safari adventure! We were split into groups, got into our safari jeeps and were on our way! Half way through the drive we stopped at a grocery store to use the restrooms and fuel up on some snacks. The favorites were chips and lots of different candies. Then, we continued on our drive to the Tangire Safari Park and arrived around 12:15. On our way to the safari we saw Maasai children herding cattle in their traditional blue and red dress. Some of the young boys were dressed in all black with white paint on their faces to celebrate an old Maasai tradition of circumcision. It was amazing.

When we arrived at the site we had boxed lunches together outside the park entrance and then got into our cars to venture out to see some animals! The popular choice in our lunches was the carrot sandwich! Mmmmmm carrots and butter. About 5 minutes into our drive we saw numerous zebras, impalas, birds, and even a hippo! A little later we saw giraffes and elephants; the elephants came so close to the car! It made for great pictures and an overall breathtaking experience. After our 3 hour Safari we drove another hour to our lodge for the night. Once we arrived at Twiga lodge we went to our rooms and hung out by the awesome pool until dinner time. For dinner we had an assortment of many foods, from French fries and fried fish to goat meat and rice. We all hung out for a while after but we had to get an early start the next morning for day two of our safari adventure so we were all in our rooms by 9. It was such a good day full of experiences and animals we will definitely not forget!

-by Sophia Alembik & Abigail Reeder

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Rise and shine students, it’s time for another breakfast of champions! We’re off to another day of teaching the future minds of Tanzania. Last day to squeeze in those last minute lessons, exciting games and dance parties! Heartbreaking goodbyes between local and GLA students were shared before finishing our last day of service. Back to home base for a group fav lunch of Chapati! We then departed for a quick money exchange and shopping trip. Back at home base hair braiders came to braid hair and students and mentors showed off their newly sewn, African apparel. We then had much appreciated down time before a delicious dinner rice, meat and vegetables. After our meal, we headed off to our last mentor groups and then off to bed for a night of slumber.

– Mary Wright & Mary Elizabeth Michaelis (or as they liked to be called Mimi & Libby)

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Tuesday July 17, 2018

Everyone has arrived here to the home base in Valencia, Spain! We are excited to start our adventure!

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Today we participated in multiple activities including volunteer work with summer camp students, a tour of Valencia with a local guide, and the introduction to our summer Spanish lessons. Despite the humidity and jet-lag, the group stayed positive and excited throughout the day. We ate new food like paella con pollo and the vegetarian option, paella con vegetales, home cooked by our fabulous in house chef and owner. After a long day, the group is winding down for bed, excited for the long and inspiring days ahead.

Thursday July 19, 2018

Today was what we all imagined a typical day in Spain would look like. We woke up, ate breakfast, and split into 2 groups. Group A went to service first and Group B stayed and did a model UN type of leadership exercise. Group A played some very fun games with the kids, ending in most if not all of us getting water poured on us. After group B arrived at the service site, Group A went back home and ate lunch and took our turn doing the leadership activity.

Once Group A and B were done with all the activities we had around an hour of free time. Some of us ventured out with the mentors to get coffee and gelato. Next we headed out to Spanish school and finally returned for dinner. After a very delicious dinner of pollo y papas fritas (chicken and french fries) we got a special treat because today was our friend Margot’s birthday. Happy birthday Margot! We are very happy we got to welcome you into your 16th year with brownies and singing Happy birthday in both Spanish and English. Tomorrow we head to BARCELONA! See you then. Adios!

Friday July 20, 2018

Today our group was able to get a later start to the day and sleep in until 8:00. After finishing breakfast, we were lucky enough to accompany the summer camp students on a tour through Valencia’s City Hall. There we were able to play games with the kids and watch a puppet show. After leaving City Hall, we were able to eat our delicious lunch and get ready for our four hour drive to Barcelona. Now that we are in the Hostel everyone is happy with the WiFi, the air conditioning, and of course the sights of the beautiful city.

Saturday July 21, 2018

Today the GLA students woke up in Barcelona! We woke up at 8:30 am and after eating breakfast, we started our busy day. First, we shopped for souvenirs; some haggled with sellers for the best prices. Buying fans and keychains were popular among us. Afterwards, we went on a tour of Sagrada Familia. Sagrada Familia is Barcelona’s tallest church, to say the least. The architecture and detailing on the church was breathtaking.

After learning about the history and reasons why the church was built, we we ate lunch and then went on another tour. We explored Gaudí’s buildings. One of the most memorable parts of that tour was the view of Barcelona. From one of the view points, you can see all most, if not all, of Barcelona. There was a lot of walking today, but it was worth it because we all took amazing pictures and went into beautiful places.

    

Sunday July 22, 2018

Today we braved the hours of the bus on our long and entertaining ride back from an amazing trip in Barcelona. On the ride we talked and laughed about the interesting trip, already resurfacing the memories that appeared like bubbles on water from our time in Barcelona. We also visited the Barcelona soccer stadium, imagining the huge crowds that must gather in the bleachers when the players take their stances on the field in the great game of soccer, or football, as it’s called in Europe.

Five hours of sitting and laughing and talking were almost nothing when you are among friends that share your interests. The bus ride was followed by a separate trip to the beautiful park near the hostel in Valencia, which consisted of ultimate frisbee and people that make you happy no matter where you travel in the great country of Spain.

 

Monday July 23, 2018

Today we started off our second week here in Spain. We split into 2 groups and one group enjoyed flamenco class taught by a local dancer, while the other group spent time with the children. After the flamenco class the second group was able to enjoy the company of the children while the first group participated in a leadership activity at the local park. After an eventful morning, both groups came together to participate in our daily Spanish class. Finally we arrived back at the house where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and we are all now looking forward to the chocolate factory tomorrow!

Hasta luego!

Tuesday July 24, 2018

Today, GLA once again made our way over to the community service sight where we had an amazing time helping the kids blow up balloons. In Spain, the people celebrate with fireworks, so we imitated the fireworks by popping the balloons in celebration of a good time with the new family we have created in such a short but precious amount of time. After saying our goodbyes, and after a short but engaging Spanish class, we spent time at a chocolate factory. T

he chocolate factory was incredible, with all the smells and the different kinds of chocolate, some of us could barely even comprehend the making of such a delicious treat. But the employees at the factory showed us how to make the chocolate by rolling and adding sugar to the very bitter cocoa plant. Some of us learned the hard way that while the seeds of the cocoa plant are not particularly edible, the sweet treat that you receive when time, effort, and work is put into it is worth the bitter taste that the cocoa seeds leave.

Wednesday July 25, 2018

During service we learned a new dance called capoeira, a dance that comes from those that were brought to Brazil during times of slavery. The other half of the group took flamenco classes in the morning before service. After some relax time we went to a beautiful horchata museum outside of Valencia where we learned about the history of the drink and how it is grown. Which was followed by the opportunity to sit in the courtyard and drink some; it was delicious!

Thursday July 26, 2018

Today we had split service, and while one group was at home, we got the opportunity to go out and shop around while exploring the city of Valencia. Our evening was jam packed as we went from our last Spanish class to a Paella lesson from our host, Mama Teresa, to a drum session with a local. As we type we are dishing up the paella that we made and we are all excited to eat and get some rest.

Friday July 27, 2018

Today was a fun day, but also sad. First, we went to a beautiful blue river with the Jarit kids and swam in the brisk water with them. Today was the last day we saw them, so many tears were shed. Afterwards, we had WiFi and shopping time. Most of us chose shopping time. And to end the day, we went on an amazing bike tour where we saw big buildings, including the Science Museum. Today was eventful but very exciting.

Saturday July 28, 2018

Today, we braved the Spanish waters and rafted alongside our companions with helmets, wetsuits and life jackets that protected us from the cold waters and rocks that lay below the seemingly harmless river. After an adventurous time on the river, a group of us headed to the beach with towels and sunscreen in hand to enjoy the beautiful blue and green Mediterranean water that is filled with people that laugh and splash alongside us as they enjoy the lovely day that we got to enjoy together for one of the last times before we all head home with memories in our heads and in our hearts.

Sunday July 29, 2018

Today we woke up for breakfast with an extra hour of sleep! The bus took us to an amazing natural water reserve which we took a boat tour through. On the boat, our amazing tour guide, Vincent, fed us wonderful horchata and fartons as he explained to history of the lake and city around it. After that , we got back on the bus and sang songs as we arrived to the Hostel where we had time to pack and eat lunch. After a fantastic meal made by the best cook ever, Mama Teresa, everyone walked to the park to reflect on the amazing past two weeks that we have experienced. Students discussed different aspects of the trip and conversed with peers about their experience. Everyone left and split into groups to go shopping. After, students got to watch a fantastic flamenco show in the Hostel and were given one last chance to soak in the traditions and lifestyle before leaving. Everyone got together for an appreciation circle where people could be recognized for things they have done on the trip. Now we have mixed emotions as we travel home, but overall everyone LOVED it!

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Sunday July 8, 2018

Hello family and friends of GLA South Africa Super Safari, round 2 participants!

For some, it was an early arrival, but we enjoyed a morning of drinking coffee by the fire place and playing cards. Once we had breakfast and settled in, we got to know each other through a variety of games and a team building activity. The group broke the record for solving the magic hat puzzle in 12 minutes on their first attempt, and we have established who in the team will be able to out run a leopard (not any of the staff.) We ended with a buffet dinner, and most were in bed by 9pm.

Some people bought some fun hats (see photo below) and we’re now off to the Pongola Game Reserve!

Peace, love and elephants,
Jaime (mentor)

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Salutations and Sawabona from Pongola!

Today we woke up early at 6:30 and we had exquisite food. After conversing and further getting know our peers, we went for a stroll through the reserve and saw all types of plants and birds. After so, we went for a game drive and witnessed wild giraffes, rhinos, impala, wildebeest, etcetera. We arrived back to the lodge and had a spectacular lunch selection along with tea and delicious muffins. As the day advanced, we settled down and divided ourselves into two teams with two goals in mind.

One to identify and locate black rhinos and the other to help eradicate the invasive wild cotton plant that is harming the local game reserve. Furthermore, our next activity was to broaden out our horizons and we learnt to identify native trees and bird populations. After our dinner, we then engaged in a deep philosophical debate discussing whaling and its cultural significance to certain regions in the world. This activity empowered us to think critically and analytically about the world that we are in today. Ergo, that concludes our day.

Leaders of the day,

Donovan and Marcy

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Today was a wonderful day. In the morning, we woke up to the sounds of Africa by Toto. After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the White Elephant Museum and had an info session and discussion led by Heike about rhinos. Afterwards we headed out to the bush to remove invasive species for habitat rehabilitation which included pulling and cutting wild cotton.

After lunch and a few team building activities, most importantly an intense game of a blindfolded scavenger hunt, one group continued the service from earlier while the other went to track rhinos. On the rhino tracking expedition, we encountered zebras, giraffes, monkeys, and many other animals. Later we met back up for a dinner of mingling and friendship building and split up once again to either go on a night animal tracking drive or a scorpion tracking walk around the home base. Overall it was a super exciting day and we are enthused to be in this beautiful country!

-by Sydney and Alexa

Thursday July 12, 2018

Hello parents,

Today was filled with fun. We began the day with snare patrol along the train tracks in the reserve and we were able to experience two trains pass us. Afterwards we went to the museum and learned about elephants. Did you know that elephants are able to show empathy towards all different types of creatures including humans?

Next we split into our groups and did bird and tree ID which was really interesting and fun. Next we enjoyed another delightful batch of muffins. We then had a very intense cook off. We created a extravagant dish of venicen stew, traditionally known as poike. The dishes were equally amazing. Don’t worry there was still a vegetarian option that was even better. Lastly we divided and concurred scorpions and creatures of the night. It was a successful day.

The overall experience of GLA drives us to consider multiple different opportunities and outlooks for life and how we can expose ourselves to a more vast variety of lively engagements. Typically we would direct ourselves to a more inverted experience but the GLA leaders gave us a different opportunity to stretch ourselves to make our creativity expand and appreciate the engagement opportunities that we have been given. We would like to think that this new experience is a target of mental and physical awareness to engage in more extravagant activities and morally to give off more positivity to everyone.

-by Jordyn and Miles

Friday July 13, 2018

Greetings from South Africa!

Today we traveled to the Somkhanda Game Reserve about forty-five minutes away. This reserve is home to the Big 5 (lions, leopards, elephant, buffalo, rhino) as well as many other African wildlife. As we entered the reserve we encountered the extremely rare African Wild Dog running along the side of the trail! In the morning, we split into two groups and went on game drives around the area. After a few hours we enjoyed a delicious lunch at a restaurant in the reserve. With full stomachs we loaded back into the Safari cars and headed back out into the bush.

Our group first learned how to use telemetry technology to track animals using radio frequency. While, the other group retrieved camera footage of animals that passed a certain area. After some terrific tea and marvelous muffins we switched roles. On the drive back to the facility our group was lucky enough to run into (almost literally) an amazing surprise! There was a rare member of the big 5 crossing the road a mere twenty feet away! Following a full day of Safari searching, we headed back to our home base to enjoy a scrumptious meal and some precious team bonding!

Signing off from South Africa,
Maria and Laura 🙂

Saturday July 15, 2018

We woke up like a normal day, not knowing what to expect about our community visit. We were expecting a nice day and an exquisite local lunch but we ended up getting much more. After short drive in the land cruiser we arrived at the community. At first we greeted everyone and they began to teach us their occupations and how to make bead bracelets.

After struggling for a long, long time, we finally managed to make bracelets and necklaces (sort of). Then we headed over to Nakutula’s (a local community member) house and had a delicious lunch. After lunch those who hadn’t finished their bracelets; did and those who had finished or had given up played football and frisbee with the local children.

Overall the day was fantastic and many of us regarded it as our best day so far. Personally, we think it was extraordinary to see how happy and innocent people are in such small communities. We had an amazing day.
Peace & chow!✌

-Erik and Adrien

Sunday July 15, 2018

Greetings Parents!

On this fine Sunday, your child’s eyes awoke to the serentation of Yeezus himself (Kanye West), titled, “Good Morning”. Their mouths were also blessed with divine tea freshly brewed by the Holy Leaders of the Day (Paige and Lexi).

After they rose from their beds, jokes and quotes and new Zulu language was deposited into their bank of knowledge. Fueling their bodies with Nature’s gifts, they marched single file to a new location for habitat maintance out in the Bush.

3 hours passed until we headed back to where it all began (Home Base). Packing for the next adventure, bonding as a team, and getting to know each other even better was exhausting; we were ready for Grub (lunch). Stuffed with enough energy, going on a two-hour hike to the Bush Camp would be no biggy.

Hungry (again), we started to prepare our dinner: chicken, sausage, vegetables, and s’mores.

After our long and exhausting day, we rested by sitting around the campfire and talked even more. We’re excited to sleep under the stars and watch the fireflies, only to do it again tomorrow night.

With Love and Regards…

The Best (and kindest) Leaders of the Day,

Paige and Lexi

Monday July 16, 2018

Greetings:)

At 6:30 we arose to a beautiful sunrise and the sound of “Hooked on a Feeling”. We ate our breakfast and headed straight to service at 8. In two groups we collected firewood and eradicated wild cotton plants. After a short break we all joined together and continued working on habitat maintenance. In the midst of our service we unfortunately lost a loved one… Stewert the mouse. We held a brief ceremony and continued on our way. Along the journey we learned a game (Jordyn is currently the reigning champion). After our return we made lunch, had a siesta, and played a few games. After our scrumptious dinner of beans, chicken, and grilled bananas we got to know each other even more with the sharing of stories around the camp fire. With the last day of sleeping under the stars coming to an end, we feel closer than ever.

Sincerely,

Aliera & Lexi

Tuesday July 17, 2018

Salutations,

Yesterday was a busy day. Waking up in the Bush Camp, we quickly packed up to head back to Home Base on a game drive vehicle. Even though it was our last day of Habitat Maintenance, our exposure to preserving the local ecosystem didn’t stop. Heike, one of the many intellectual White Elephant Safari guides, showed us a very interesting BBC documentary about elephant translocation from Kruger National Park to Pongolapoort Game Reserve, where we’re staying. Afterwards we played a game called Magnetic Feet. The rules consisted of standing side to side and keeping our feet together whilst moving forward without detaching our feet. The game took us over an hour to complete! We then watched a presentation on how to make a difference in our world, which was led by Ash Hastings, one of our extraordinary mentors. The rest of the night was spent packing. It was our last night in Pongola since the next morning we had to travel to Kosi Bay.

With excitement for our next journey,

-Marcy and Paige

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Today we left White Elephant for Kosi Bay. We settled in and had lunch followed by a hole to the beach. A local fisherman demonstrated sustainable fishing with traps and we had the opportunity to try spear fishing. We then completed our swim tests and went to play in the ocean. It was a fun day and we are super excited for more activities in Kosi Bay!

-by Sydney + Alexa

Thursday July 19, 2018

Bonjour,

Today was a very fun filled day. We started it off by waking up an hour later than usual which was an amazing way to start the day. We then had our normal morning with chow circle and breakfast. Afterwards we headed off on our first adventure of the day. We split into 2 groups one group went snorkeling and the other group went kayaking. We then switched. Both activities were tons of fun. We Then had lunch on the beach and had free time. We all chilled, tanned, danced, played games, and had a photo shoot. Today was definitely a success.

Au revoir,

Jordyn and Adrien

Friday July 20, 2018

What’s cookin’ good lookin’

Today was sadly our last full day together on this program. We woke up early to eat a delicious breakfast before heading out on our 10km hike! During the wonderful hike, we were lucky enough to trek through five different ecosystems.

The last part of the hike was quite challenging, as we were faced with a steep sand dune to climb! Luckily, we all pushed through and were rewarded with a breathtaking view! After running around the sand, we spend many hours taking pictures and enjoying our last few hours in the Indian Ocean! We had one final chow circle and an amazing dinner together, and then concluded the night with a talent show! Our last day together was nothing less than incredible!

On behalf of all of us we want to thank everyone that made this experience possible! All the parents, mentors, staff, and guides who made the past two weeks the best two weeks of our lives. South Africa was definitely a trip like no other!

For one last time,
Salakahle (Goodbye) & Lalakahle (Goodnight),
Maria and Laura

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Friday June 22, 2018

We’re in Johannesburg and ready to rumble! It may be winter here in South Africa, but the sun is shining and we’re eager to depart for home base tomorrow morning. Each student has had a tremendously long journey across the world but we’re super impressed with their energy and enthusiasm so far. We’ve played games, played with puppies, gotten to know each other, shared meals and curled up by the fire to end the night.

It’s been a whirlwind day and we’re so happy to have such a strong and solid team. We are also excited to welcome two more students due to arrive later this weekend and meet the wildlife experts. Stay tuned!

Fun fact: The Sardine Run (a fish migration) spanning from Cape Point to the Southern KwaZulu Natal is so huge it can be seen from space!

Peace, love and elephants,
Jaime (Mentor)

Sunday June 24, 2018

Today we started our services which began our exploration of South Africa. Today we focused on the technical aspects of rhino tracking and preventing the growth of invasive species of alien plant life. During our rhino tracking we, basically, went on mini safaris throughout the reserve. During our mission to track rhinos we saw many different animals including giraffes!! Thanks to Kya who spotted them.

Later in the day we got to see and name the new baby rhino. Her name is Winter in English, but in Zulu her name is Makaza. After dinner we had a mock debate discussing cultural and environmental rights. We learned how to become more open minded while having lots of fun! Right now we are sitting by the fire and enjoying the company of our peers. With an early morning ahead we will head to bed soon! What a great way to start our adventure!

-Mary T. & Kya S.

Monday June 25, 2018

Hello parents! Today our adventurers took a trip around the reserve in search of the black rhino, different bird and tree species, learned about rhino and elephant conservation, and spotted night creatures! While driving around the reserve we saw giraffes, white rhino, warthogs, Impala, kudu, crocodile, vultures, water bucks, and nyala. We spotted birds and trees, using research equipment to identify the species. Heike talked to us about the ongoing problems of poaching, including ways to prevent it. Taking a step back from the reserve, we were able to collaborate with our peers and learn more about each other as our bonds grow tighter. We finished off the day with a night ride through the reserve in search of the flashing eyes of many nocturnal animals. Furthermore, we used UV flashlights to expose the hidden scorpions within cracks and crevices of logs and trees. We are all having a fantastic time 🙂

Sincerely, Hannah and Maggie

Tuesday June 26, 2018

Sawubona,

This morning after a healthy balanced breakfast, we engaged in our daily services: Alien plant eradication and our search for black rhinos. Soon after we ate some delicious macaroni and cheese for lunch, we went out with our guides for tree and bird identification training. Then, we had a delectable high tea of vanilla and chocolate muffins. Yum. The highlight of the evening was learning how to make a traditional South African dish: “The Potjie”. The final event of the night was the scorpion hunting and night drive. The group that went on the night drive was anticipating for a leopard, but only could smell the strong sense of buttery popcorn. Believe it or not, this particular smell is an indication that a leopard was recently there! Meanwhile, the other group got to see the scorpions glow bright green under the UV light during their scorpion hunt. The day was packed with many activities and we are excited for the many adventures that are awaiting.

Peace & Chow,
Catherine & Sowon

 

Wednesday June 27, 2018

Greetings loved ones. Today, we woke up to a loud and friendly knock (😉). After a delicious breakfast we headed to a nearby Zulu Village. We were taught how to do traditional beading. It was a lengthy and tedious process though, the outcome was great. Then, one of the families from the village made us a traditional lunch. They invited us into their homestead to enjoy the delicious meal.

Afterwards, some of the ladies from the village performed a traditional dance for us and some of us joined in. After the performance was over we continued beading. We also bonded with many children from the village during our stay. We all took funny pictures together and enjoyed each other’s company. In addition, we bought many souvenirs that the ladies made. Then, we headed back to the reserve. When we arrived back we did a fun team building activity then enjoyed dinner. Proceeding dinner we did another bonding activity. Now, we are enjoying our 1 hour of wifi for the week. That’s all for today!! See you guys soon!

– Victoria-Alexandra and Mecca

Thursday June 28, 2018

Greetings from Somkhanda Game Reserve!

Today we ventured out of the Pongola base camp to Somkhanda, a reserve working to conserve and provide habitat for the big 5. The activities consisted primarily of game drives where we assisted the reserve’s interns in tracking a select few of the big 5. Each mentor group helped with leopard identification through camera traps and tried to locate elephants and buffalo using a telemetry system. Team EXTREME was able to get signal of the resident elephant herd which was particularly exciting after witnessing a giraffe fight of proportions to Apollo creed and the Italian Stallion.

Team Awesome (who are way better than team extreme) was able to use the telemetry system to track a herd of elephants, and some wandering buffalo. We got an amazing view from the top of the mountains and got to take in some incredible sights. While driving through the reserve we were able to see giraffes, wildebeests, kudu, elvis guinea fowls, and a ton zebras. Afterwards we checked out the camera traps and were able to see up close images of rhinos and warthogs enjoying water at a local waterhole. Images of leopards were used for an identification activity, and most of the group did well (Maggie might need some more work in this area)… But overall it was a really fun day where we all got to enjoy an incredible amount of nature up close.

-by Bella Jacobs and Priya Krakker

Friday June 28, 2018

Hey, it’s Kris and Brian and welcome back to the blog! Today is June 29th and quite an action packed day.

Today we awoke at 6:30 to a crisp and cool South African morning. Before gathering for breakfast, we noticed lots of movement among the impala in the bush. We concluded that they were alarm calling, meaning that there was a predator in the area, possibly a leopard or hyena! After eating a nutritious meal of eggs, sausage, and toast, we departed to the museum nearby to learn about elephant conservation on the game reserve.

We then split into two groups; one to eradicate alien plants, and one to embark on a trek through the bush. We saw many Impala, but alas, saw no elephants or rhinos on this day. Lunch today consisted of burgers and a bounty of vegetables to use as toppings. Following lunch was a much needed siesta where many of us slept away the lingering tiredness of the week’s work.

After waking up, we played a few games to pass the time until dinner. After consuming a healthy chicken pot pie for dinner, we split into mentor groups and discussed this week’s happenings and reflected on the things we learned. We ended the night with thirty minutes of wifi. In conclusion, today was quite a day.

Saturday June 30, 2018

Blog written by Audree Hedequist and Elizabeth Purcell:

Hey! Today, after breakfast, we watched a BBC “doco”, as Ash says, about how the elephants of the reserve arrived here over twenty years ago. Then we went on snare patrol (just like Dian Fossey’s patrol in the mountains of Africa!) We picked up lots of trash and a few metal wires along the railroad. It was a very hot walk back to base camp so we had to choose between walking or driving to our campsite.

Elizabeth drove and Audree walked, both saw some always interesting animals of the bush. We arrived at the campsite about two hours later (the walkers took a while) we took a tour and set up our beds. Most people are sleeping in tents, including Audree, and a few chose to sleep in just a sleeping bag outside, like Elizabeth.

Then we all participated in a group star gazing using a green laser, where we were able to identify planets such as Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus, and even the Milky Way! We saw multiple constellations too. Then we had a cook out where students took different roles in the cooking process.

Pria and Bella sacrificed their hands and arms to the heat of the fire while cooking, Victoria was slightly less vegetarian while preparing chicken, and Mary and Maggie washed all of our dishes for us. After that we grilled chocolate bananas on the fire for desert. It was a really fun day with lots of walking and a lot to look forward to!

Monday July 2, 2018

Greetings! We woke up today, day 9, to the birds chirping outside and the cold morning air slowly creeping into our tents. Some of us even slept under the African stars, listening to the calls of the wild.

After breakfast, we headed to collect firewood and chop down wild cotton plants, an invasive species. Many of us were tired, so we rested for about 30 minutes before going out again. Considering that it was our last time doing service, we worked especially hard to get rid of as many of the cotton plants as we could. Then, we had lunch and many of us took a nap to re-engerize for the late afternoon.

The scavenger hunt was on after we woke up from our nap. Splitting into 4 teams, we spread out to find impala dung, knobthorn trees, and porcupine quills, among other things. Team Honeybadgers took the victory and won a jug of gummy snakes. Team Flying Spaghetti Monsters lost and now have to come up with a choreographed dance.

Around the campfire, we shared stories about a place that is dear to our hearts. We bonded as a group and learned new things about each other. During chow circle, we said our thanks to Shadreck, our awesome mentor and bush guide who will unfortunately not be joining us at Kosi Bay. For dinner, we had a traditional Zulu stew called Pojtie. It was delicious over rice– thanks to Nakhutula, our wonderful cook! To end off the night, we made s’mores over the fire. Peace and chow!

Tuesday July 3, 2018

Hello parents,

After nine days in the African bush, we were all ready for a more coastal change of scenery. We arrived at Kosi Bay around 12:30 and were welcomed with tasty sandwiches. After being given room assignments, we headed down to the beach for either kayaking or touring the fish traps nearby. Despite the chilly water, both groups had fun with their activities.

Kayakers got in a nice workout and got to see a beautiful sunset on the water. Fish trap tourers did not catch any fish, but they did get to learn about the benefits and challenges of fish trapping here at Kosi Bay. They were then able to spend some quality time chilling on the beach. Following the evening activities, we all regrouped for dinner (and finally got to shower after two days at the Bush camp).

We finished off the night with a GLA group activity that allowed for more self awareness and group bonding. We had a great first day at Kosi Bay. Also, Michael Dane Anderson (our guide) says hi.

See ya soon,

Maggie McElhaney and Priya Krakker

Wednesday July 4, 2018

Sowon: Sanibonani (Hello)
Catherine: Sawuboni (Good morning)
Sowon: Kunjani (How are you)
Catherine: Ngiyapila (I’m fine)
Sowon: Ngiyapila Mina (I’m fine too)
^Traditional greeting in Zulu^

This morning we sat down for a nice meal under the palm trees of beautiful Kosi Bay. We then played some fun team bonding games before setting out to our exciting daily adventures. We got our snorkeling gear and hiked to the beach, Kosi Mouth. Some exciting finds include lion fish, eels, angel fish, and even sting rays! After a short break with our packed lunches, we began our next activity. Half of the group went spear fishing and they ended up catching a delicious fish that we ate for dinner.

The other half went kayaking in the lake and ended up cutting it short since there was a hippo blocking our path! Exhausted from this jam packed day, we got a fun ride in the back of a truck to the lodge. After relaxing for a bit, we played some more fun team bonding games and then met for our daily chow circle. We all came together for a nice spaghetti night that everyone enjoyed so much that we all went for seconds! After that, we listened to Jaime’s presentation on community organizing. It was a great learning experience for the whole group and we overall had a great night.

Peace and chow,
Catherine, Sowon, and Audree

Thursday July 5, 2018

Hey guys! It’s Hannah and Mary here! This morning we went for a very long hike (10k) through the mountains and four ecosystems to the Kosi Mouth. The walk was strenuous but successful, being worth every second when we reached the top. We all spent the day playing games and jumping waves, more or less successfully, in the Indian Ocean. The view was breathtaking and was a fabulous way to end our trip.
Reflecting so far on everything we have done, this adventure has created strong friendships, unforgettable memories, and the enlightenment of world conservation. Thank you all for the opportunity to love, live, and learn, we can’t wait to see you all soon. Thank you.

Click here to jump down to the new posts!

Monday July 9, 2018

Hello everyone!

Update coming at ya from Sara, the International Director of GLA’s South Africa: Social Change Project. After an eventful pickup day, including many flights and several long naps (taken by the early arrivals), our entire group arrived in Johannesburg and back to our first stop- African Leadership Academy- late last night.

We’ve now had breakfast and are getting started on Day 1 of our ALA Entrepreneurial Leadership curriculum. Everyone’s settling into the GLA routine and getting to know one other 🙂

Pictures included are of the early arrivals, as well as the full group getting into the leadership curriculum this morning.

Tomorrow, we tour Soweto! Wishing you all the best back home.

Cheers,

Sara McDaniel
International Director

Tuesday July 10, 2018

Hey everyone back home!

Here’s an update from Brianne, the mentor on GLA’s South Africa: Social Change Project. Today was a very exciting day as we left our African Leadership Academy (ALA) campus and ventured to Soweto! Soweto is south of Johannesburg and is a city developed as a township for black people under the apartheid system.

Our day started off at Lebo’s Soweto Backpackers where we met our guide and together sang and danced to a version of the Lion Sleeps Tonight. By foot we started our three-hour trek throughout the township. During the tour we stopped at various sites to taste traditional delicacies like beef hearts, and gave high fives to the local children.

We had the opportunity to visit Nelson Mandela’s house, bargain at the local market and spend time at the Hector Peterson memorial and museum. The Hector Peterson memorial was dedicated to the twelve-year-old boy who was the first to be shot during the June, 16th 1976 student uprising in Soweto. We learned a lot about the student uprising last night while watching and discussing the movie, Sarafina. We ended the tour with a South African favorite— Braai (barbeque).

We traveled back to campus and had a wonderful reflection about what we experienced during the tour and concluded with a few lessons on leadership. We look forward to a full day of leadership curriculum tomorrow at ALA!

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Hello GLA Families!

Today we had Entrepreneurial Leadership class with our wonderful teachers, Won-Sun and Smanga. For the last two days, we have each been working on solving selected issues either within our communities or globally that we want to address. They have led us through various exercises both in and out of the classroom to teach us to view our issues as opportunities to help others.

Our ‘experiential’ outside activities today consisted of dropping an egg from the top of a building with only two pieces of string, 2 pieces of newspaper, 30cm of tape, and scissors, and putting together a picture book story using only the descriptions of our images to put them in chronological order. These various activities have provided fun and interesting ways to teach us prototyping, communication, and the various forms of leadership seen in all of us.

Today inside the classroom we mainly focused on how to specifically breakdown different aspects of our ‘opportunities’ and address them head-on. This involved writing down as many solutions to our issue as possible (literally anything from developing social policies to calling Batman), formulating need statements, solution statements, SMART goals, and WORM assessments.

After breaking down our goals and figuring out which route we wanted to take in addressing our chosen issue, we created a business plan. For me, this made me see how huge issues could be organized in tackled in the real world. After developing our plans, we created 2 minute pitches to present to our peers. It was very interesting to see how everyone decided to tackle problems in their own unique ways and present them in a sales pitch.

Additionally, Won-Sun and Smanga taught us some traditional African dance moves! As fun as it was, the video is pretty terrible, so it’s probably best it isn’t included in the blog.

All in all, our time in Johannesburg has been amazing! The food has been good (lots of rice, chicken, and veggies), the campus is beautiful, we have all become so close, and the lessons we have learned in the classroom as well as the ways they taught us to perceive and tackle issues is something that will stick with me forever.

We head onto Cape Town tomorrow, and I am so excited to see what’s in store both at the school with the kids and in the city!

More updates to come!

-Emerson Cilley (Hi Mom and Dad, love and miss you both <33)

Friday July 13, 2018

Hi everyone!

Yesterday we arrived in Cape Town. It’s a big transition from the brown landscape of Johannesburg with the very green lush landscape. Luckily for Cape Town, we’ve had two days of rain since we got here. We met our new host, Gail and got settled into the new home base. The new home base is a newly renovated hostel with beautiful common rooms, big bed rooms and a great view of Table Mountain. There’s a chef here (Coll) that makes most of our food from scratch and gives the extras to local families.

Today we drove through Du Noon and saw the schools we will be volunteering at on the trip, went to the market and went on a walking tour of Cape Town. We also went and talked to the owner of a grocery store downtown that is 100% plastic free called Nude Foods.

-by Ryan Durbin

Saturday July 14, 2018

We had to wake up early for breakfast and to be out the door by 7 (which I don’t even do on a school day). A few of us were up for breakfast, but some of us were a little slower and had to eat breakfast on the go.

As a group, we walked to the bus station and took the bus into the city. The bus was kind of boring, but at least we weren’t stuck in traffic! From there, we got onto a tour bus and they drove us to Hout Bay while our excellent tour guide, Bill, shared the history of South Africa’s colonization. We all stopped inside a small coffee shop while we waited for our boat.

After attaining enough coffee and hot cocoa to function for the day, we went to find our boat. It was called the “Calypso.” Once boarded, we took off towards Seal Island, where a big troop of seals was resting and swimming. The sea very choppy. We didn’t stay out in the water long before docking again.

Once back on land, we got back on our tour bus and drove to Table Mountain National Park. We unloaded the bikes that were on the trailers connected to our busses and started to pedal towards our picnic destination. This is where things started to get a little… well, a little crazy.

Vishnu immediately took the lead of the bike line. He was FAST. At first I warned him that he should conserve his energy, but this boy was just really hungry or something because he never slowed down. I soon lost sight of him and a few others. I got about 2/3 of the way to the to the picnic area before the second bus caught up to me and offered to drive me the rest of the way.

I gladly accepted and was quickly followed into the bus by Carson, Ryan Yap, Silvia, Pilar, and Brianne. However, we only got over the next hill before we stopped again! Vishnu, the early front runner, had gotten his jeans stuck in his bike and tipped over!! Sara had to cut the bottom of his jeans just to free him, while he insisted that we take pictures of this debacle for his Instagram. Luckily, no one got hurt and Vishnu climbed back up onto his bike and rode all the way to the picnic destination 😊

After eating a wonderful meal, we drove to Cape Point to see the Lighthouse and the Cape of Good Hope, which was renamed from “The Stormy Cape” for PR reasons. We hiked up to the Cape Point Lighthouse, then hiked down the Cape of Good Hope Scenic Trail. By this point, we were all exhausted, but it was finally time to see the PENGUINS!

The entire tour, my motivation (and a couple other people’s) was to see the penguins. We drove 30 minutes from The Cape of Good Hope to see the African Penguins at Boulder Beach in Simon Town. They were all so cute!!! The babies and their parents were all huddled together in groups. We even saw one juvenile make a break for the sea while his mother chased him and tried to pull him back to shore. The entire time everyone was looking at the penguins, Vishnu was in a very intense conversation with our tour guide about history. Unfortunately, we only got to hang out with the penguins for a little while because their protected area closed at 5 😭

We hopped back onto the bus and started the long drive home, while Bill continued filling us in on Cape Town’s history. We were so tired that a few of us, including me, fell asleep on the way home. Bill, the tour guide, was even nice enough to drive us all the way home instead of taking us to the bus stop.

We all poured into the house where food was prepared and settled down to eat. After consuming a pot of homemade tomato soup and, like, three loaves of cheesy bread, it was time to announce the next leader of the day/blog writer. The person I chose, I chose because they were always positive, always enthusiastic, and never complained. Tomorrow’s leader of the day will be Vishnu!

-by Lucy Hall

Sunday July 15, 2018

Today we had an optional early morning hike that five individuals decided to go on, including myself. (The objective of the hike was to see the sunrise from the Lionshead mountain in Cape Town) As leader of the day – and as an avid hiker through my years in the Boy Scouts – I elected to venture on this hike. A hike I did not know would involve getting my PhD in gymnastics, and my masters in climbing. I had to scale rocks, hold onto chains, and jam my size twelve feet into minuscule openings.

As I went up, with my hands burning from the white-knuckle grip of the chain, my knees bursting after driving my legs up into the rock, and my feet aching after the constant pressure on them, I was able to make it to the top. So when I rose to the top and saw nothing but beauty I smiled, then I removed my phone from my pocket and began snapping pictures. This hike proves beyond reasonable doubt that hard work pays off.

After the brutal hike I came home and lowered my sweaty body into my bed and closed my eyes. I awoke to prompts from one of the camp directors that we were going to the mall. I had no time to comb my hair so I went to the mall looking like a monkey. I picked out new pants – after all, I had just torn my old ones in a bike crash yesterday. I also picked up some snacks – a bottle of iced tea and some protein bars – and I selected few packs of gum. As I bought food, the girls bought clothes, and shopped for shoes.

Once our trip to the mall concluded I went back to bed for a bit. In addition to the brutal hike, I’d gotten very little sleep the previous night as I spent two hours teaching Okome about the Cold War. When I woke, we went to Big Bay Beach. I got exemplary photos of Table Mountain, and watched the sunset. Today, some members of our group got to watch both sunrise and sunset! Today we learned what it means to work hard and what it means to relax.

-By Vishnu D. Raghavan

Monday July 16, 2018

Today was our first real day at the HoneyBee school! We got to know the kids in the morning by singing songs and then split into the different classrooms for the rest of the day. Each of us spent the morning one-on-one with about 3 or 4 of the school kids, and were even called teachers by the little students 🙂 It was so amazing to get to know each of their personalities so well throughout the day! For kids who are so small, they have so much bubbly energy!

To start off, we each had “stations” we directed, and then we went over how to draw the number 5! Afterwards, we had an activity about the chilly African winters where we made cutouts of clouds and rain with the children. The day was filled with lots of laughs, singing, hair “styling”, smiles, and learning curves – needless to say, it exceeded expectations.

Around noon, we left for the Dunoon Recreational Center, where we had the privilege to hear 3 local entrepreneurs talk about how they formulated, started, and adapted each of their businesses. It was so inspiring to hear 3 people from all different backgrounds bring their passions to the forefront of their lives with their entrepreneurial spirits. In addition, we got to hear 2 girls from the Dunoon township present TED talks. They are actually scheduled to give their speeches in New York in November! This is a huge deal for this community, most of who have never even stepped foot out of South Africa. However, because Ted is not covering traveling expenses, these girls need to fund the airfare to NYC on their own. The community is coming together to raise these funds, and they have a link where you can donate that I’ll include here in case anyone is interested in donating to their campaign. Every little bit helps! 🙂

Link to fundraising campaign: https://www.givengain.com/cause/3949/campaigns/17908/

To end our time at the rec center, we got to watch a group of young boys and girls dance for us. I was truly amazed at how young some of the kids were and how synchronized the dancing was!

I know we all are so looking forward to seeing all of the kids tomorrow and continuing to build our relationships with the community of Dunoon 🙂

More updates to come!

-Emerson Cilley

Tuesday July 17, 2018

We woke to a bright day, determined to make an even brighter day for the children in the Dunoon Township in Cape Town. The group went downstairs and ate a hasty breakfast of oatmeal and cheap coffee before hopping onto the bus. Half an hour later we arrived in front of the Honeybee Daycare Center, and though minuscule in stature, it was gargantuan in heart. Today would be our second day at the center and immediately we saw a plethora of familiar faces from the day before in a euphoric anticipation for us. Like the previous day, we started with some songs and games for the kids. While I do not recall the exact rules of the first game I do remember the entire teaching staff being swarmed by laughing children with seemingly limitless energy.

The kids retained the energy throughout the day as we continued teaching them about winter – the current unit. During our time we were able to present an activity that some of our members had planned. We worked with the kids to color in and cut out shapes to form penguins and sang some penguin-related songs. As we worked, it was apparent that while some children were quiet as they focused others broke into tears fighting amongst each other. Though there were bright spots it was still a long morning at the center.

We left to eat our boxed salads at around noon. After lunch, we got to play some sports with some of the locals in Dunoon. They taught us a game which was a mix of kickball and dodgeball which was really fun. Then, Vishnu and I had some good conversations, while the rest of the group played hockey with the locals. As we spoke we handed out water to some of the children from the tub that we brought. We shared some and they unexpectedly came back with the tub of water refilled. This caught us by surprise but it really showed us how outgoing and thoughtful the people of Dunoon are.

After a tiring day of children and sports, we returned to our home base where we got to relax. After relaxation, we came down to a dinner of sloppy joes. After this we took an anonymous survey of how we liked the GLA program. After answering the questions to the survey some of us had a match of Monopoly while others elected to Instagram, Snapchat, or talk amongst each other.

-by Ryan Yap (& some help from Vishnu)

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Today, for Mandelas 100th birthday we got 15 extra minutes of sleep. We later went a government funded school. We played with the kids for a bit and then made hotdogs for all 660 students there! We had a bunch of extras so we got to eat some too.

We then went to Cape Town’s Eastern Market and ate Cape Malay food, which tasted really good. After lunch, we went to the District 6 Museum and talked to a guy named Noor who survived Apartheid and forced relocation from his home in District 6. Then we went back to the market and bought ice cream. At night, we watched a movie called A Long Walk to Freedom, about Mandela’s life. Tomorrow, we’re visiting Robben Island, where he was imprisoned for much of his life.

-by Okome

Thursday July 19, 2018

Hi everyone!

Yesterday was a day full of activities and adventures.

In the morning, we woke up at 7AM as usual and had breakfast at 7:30. We got onto the bus at 8:15 and went to Honey Bee’s, the school where we do service every week day. We sang some songs, played with them and drew the number 6!

At 11AM we headed to the V&A Waterfront to have lunch and at 1PM took our boat to Robben Island. We arrived there and got onto a bus so we could see the island. The bus dropped us at the entrance of Robben Island Jail and we had the luck of getting assigned a tour guide who was a prisioner there at the same time as Nelson Mandela was there.

We returned to the port and watched an intense “fight” between a street performer statue-man and Vishnu. So much fun! When we returned home we ate a really good meal made by Coll. Yummy! At night we talked about Apartheid and how we connect what happened here to our own communities. We reflected a lot and then had free time!

-by Silvia

Friday July 20, 2018

We shuffled out of the door at 8:15, after a hearty breakfast, and made our way to the Honeybee Daycare Center in the Dunoon township. We spent three hours working with the children, and we specifically focused on helping them learn to draw the number seven. We also made a mitten craft to close out our “winter” theme for the week. To be honest, we spend a vast majority of our time ensuring that the children do not fight with each other.

Some days we go sightseeing after service, but today we came back to our Home Base, where we spent two and a half hours playing a highly intense game of Monopoly. We then shuffled to our rooms where we either slept, read Business Day (Vishnu) or exercised. During this time, I made banana bread, which got rave reviews from the group.

At around 5 PM, we had a lesson on how to articulate our experiences in college essays. We then worked on lesson planning for the next day. At around 7 PM, we had a dinner of cheeseburgers. After dinner, some of us made s’mores, spent time in our rooms, watched movies, and hung out. Tomorrow we hike Table Mountain!

-by Carson Schraer, with help from Vishnu D. Raghavan & Ryan Yap

Saturday July 21, 2018

Hola!

Today was an exciting day. In the morning we had breakfast at 8:00 and after, we went to Table Mountain to hike it. It took us 2 hours and a half to get to the top, but at the end we all made it up there. The hike was brutal, we had to stop several times because of the tiredness and the difficulty of the path, but when we got to the top all the suffering was worth it! The view was outstanding. We had all the city at our feet. After taking a lot of pictures we went down in the cable car.

After, we went to a picnic place to have lunch. We bought amazing burguers, poke bowls and hot chocolates. When we were full we headed to a mall. Even though it was a really expensive artists market we managed to buy a few things and went to another mall where we bought more snacks. It was 6 when we returned home to have a great soup cooked by Coll. The rest of the afternoon was free time. We showered and watched a movie. After we went to bed to get some rest.

-By Pilar 🙂

Sunday July 22, 2018

Hello GLA families!

Today we had the amazing opportunity to visit the first people to settle South Africa; the San, at !Khwa Ttu Cultural Village. We learned why and how their languages and culture have evolved, and have begun to go extinct. We also learned why animal tracks are important – if you were unable to recognize the tracks of a certain animal, you would not be able to survive in the conditions the San people faced. We also learned the hunting gathering methods they used, the way their jewelry was created, the cultural norms of marriage proposals, and how to play a thumb piano. After our visit to the Khwa Ttu reserve, we went to have a twelve course seafood meal at a restaurant by the beach in Mykonos.

The courses started with mussels in their shells and bread with butter. Next, we had fish curry – a truly delicious dish – with more freshly baked bread. We moved on to beef curry, and three different types of fish followed. We then had beef, crayfish, lobster and dessert. To say the meal was delicious would be an understatement – the spicy dishes flowed down our throats, leaving behind an aftertaste of cumin, potato, and the unmistakable flavor of soft beef and fish.

Even the most picky of eaters were exhausted from the nonstop intake of food. A plethora of individuals stated that the seafood meal – a meal that is seldom consumed in the homes of a vast majority of the individuals – was the best meal that they have ever had in their lives. Feeling the zesty lemon with the salty crayfish was so memorable. I was unable to see a single individual who did not empty the shells of the crayfish or leave nothing but bones and shells behind for all of the courses.

After the meal, we slugged our full bellies to the beach only centimeters from our dining area. Walking after such a gargantuan fill was a Herculean task. We – despite gale force winds – took selfies with the beach and the mountains in the distance. Unfortunately, one person’s cap was blown into the water and a stranger was forced to rescue his cap. A plethora of individuals saw this as a main highlight when the man chased the cap like Neymar chases a ball.

At around five we did lesson planning – after all, we will be back to teaching small children tomorrow – and constructed crafts for the children to use during our service projects. At around eight we had a light lasagna dinner and then went up to our rooms to do our group laundry. To wrap up the night, some people watched a movie while others went to bed early to rest up for the week ahead.

-Sage Lovos and Vishnu D. Raghavan

Monday July 23, 2018

Hello GLA Families!

We had a very busy, fun-filled Monday today! The day started off with service at the Honeybee School, where we sang the Penguin Song, the Peel Banana Song, and “Building Up A Temple for the Lord.” Vishnu also led the kids in a round of Simon Says. Afterwards, we read a story to the class, and then began working on writing the number 7. Although a very simple task to us, we found that there is a wide learning gap when it comes to drawing and counting numbers. For our arts and crafts project, we made snakes out of paper links. This activity allowed the kids to practice their fine motor skills, coloring, and counting. Over all, we had a very successful morning with the adorable students, leaving them with an overwhelming amount of hugs and kisses. I think we have all formed very close relationships with the students and have learned to appreciate how much they look up to and respect us.

After tutoring at the school, we embarked on a lengthy bus ride to a safari park. Shortly after finishing our avocado turkey sandwiches during the ride, we arrived on the beautiful, green 4000 acre preserve. We got into safari cars that looked like they came out of Jurassic World. Our tour guides drove us along rugged dirt paths to see giraffes (their gestation period is 15 months!), zebras, antelopes, elan, emus (they’re super ugly), and a couple other animals. We were able to get pretty close to each of the animals, especially the giraffes. Unlike the zebras and elans, who ran away from our car, they were curious to see us. Unfortunately, we did not spot any gnus. While we did not go on our safari during prime animal-spotting time, we were very lucky to see as many animals as we did.

When we got back to our hostel, we enjoyed a yummy pasta and salad dinner, followed by a leadership activity centered around the 5 pillars of GLA: live your values, be courageous, uncover solutions, take action, and connect and influence. We each identified which pillar related to why we chose to come on this program, and which pillar we have grown in the most. Through these leadership activities, I have been able to learn a lot about my group mates, and thus get closer to them.

We spent the rest of the evening teaching Vishnu how to do the Cha-Cha Slide and Cupid’s Shuffle (it was not pretty), and Silvia taught Emerson some boxing moves. Ryan and Kome made hot chocolate for the group, and then we settled down to watch a movie and play Monopoly. Over all, today held many eventful and unique experiences for our group. We made major progress with the Honeybee students, we can now all say that we have seen a wild giraffe, and our friendships got stronger over hot chocolate and board games.

-by Ananya

Tuesday July 24, 2018

We returned to the Home Base and ate penne pasta and spinach and feta salad for dinner. After dinner, some people wanted to play Monopoly, while others went to their rooms to relax, exhausted from the long day of sports.

-Okome

Wednesday July 25, 2018

Hello! Wednesday was such a colorful day!

In the morning we went as usual to Honey Bee’s and played with the kids. We also made big progress on our mural. Yes, we are painting a school’s wall to make it look colorful and it looks outstanding!

At lunch time, Gail drove us to Bo-Kaap and had a Cape Malay cooking class, we ate what we made! It was delicious! Later on, out tour guide Latifa walked us all over the zone which is super colorful.

In the afternoon, Carla, the founder of the SAVE (Southern African Volunteer Experiences) Foundation, talked to us about how she made it where she is. We had dinner at Salty Crax, one of her hostels, alongside some of her longer term volunteers.

At night we had an intense tickle fight! Hilarious!

And that was our day.

-Silvia

Thursday July 26, 2018

Yesterday, we finished our mural at Honey Bee’s. We’ve been working hard since Monday to bring a little more color into their hallway. It was really fun working with the paints as the preschoolers tried to get our attention by shouting “TEACHER! TEACHER!”

At one point, we were painting down the hall and Conner, the toddler of one of the teachers, came out into the hall. Conner is a very independent child. At just 12 months old he walks very well, hardly ever cries, and knows what he wants. If Conner doesn’t care, he won’t wait, he’ll find something interesting. What interested Conner was the wet paint on the wall. He raised up two hands and “splat!!” Slammed them down onto the half dry paint. Luckily the paint didn’t smear off onto his hands, but for a second I was scared.

Once everything was finished, all the GLA students and teachers lined up in the hall to have their hand painted before placing it on the wall in a circle around the sun. It looks very nice.

After finishing at the school, we went home to relax and hang out. We played another heated game of Monopoly and then did a mini debate/discussion/problem solving activity about the 2014 Brazilian FIFA World Cup and its impact on children living in the favelas. After dinner, we played celebrity before finally going to bed suuuuuuppper late (at least for me, it was like midnight).

-Lucy 🙂

Friday July 27, 2018

Hello GLA families,

Here is the blog about our last day.

Our last day was amazing and intense and filled with extremely difficult tearful goodbyes. In the morning, we went to the Honeybee school for the last time, and gave the kids a special goodbye snack and dance party. They amazed us with their dance moves and their openheartedness; making it very difficult for us to say our goodbyes. Somehow, in two weeks, we had grown to love those kids very dearly. They strongly impacted each and every one of us in a way that I never expected, but am eternally grateful for.

When we got home, we had the sad task of packing our bags. We took one last walk to one of the beautiful beaches within Cape Town, and we got ice cream and coffee and enjoyed some of our last moments together. Later when we were back home, we sat down and wrote letters of gratitude to all of the many people who sacrificed their time helped us out around the hostel and in Cape Town.

In the evening we went to a very nice 10 course dinner at the Gold restaurant downtown. It was delicious food from countries all over the continent, including South Africa. There were traditional dancers who gave us three performances which were truly amazing and brought us up to dance with them. We then saw a once in a lifetime lunar eclipse from the balcony in the restaurant, in which the moon appeared fiery red. After dinner, we had a drumming lesson at the restaurant, which was a perfect end to the trip.

As we go back to our lives at home, we will always cherish the time we have had together here. We have all learned and grown so much – individually and together – in ways I honestly never imagined. Thank you, GLA!

-Sage Lovos