Preparing for Christmas, UFOs, a New Camera and More

Hi Everyone-

Twas the week before Christmas...
and Jon and I drove to the nearby Pilanesberg Game Reserve this past Saturday. I got a new camera for my birthday and we wanted to practice with it before Jonathan and his girlfriend Ally come for a 2 week holiday on Dec. 27th. We also wanted to make sure we saw lots of zebra because Ally's one hope is to see zebra on her trip. Not only did we see zebra but we saw baby zebras as well. Not to mention some hippos fighting (or playing or courting...we don't know) some baby wart hogs and other amazing animals.

Rhinos enjoying the shade

Mama Zebra and baby scratching on a tree

The breathtaking landscape of Pilanesberg Game Reserve

Hippos Frolicking?

A Blue Wildebeest and her baby

Mama Warthog and her 2 babies

Jonathan and Ally come on Dec. 27 for a 2-week trip as I mentioned before.  We are so excited to have them visit and thanks to our camera-training day at Pilanesberg we feel certain we can find zebras for Ally and take extraordinary amounts of photos for lots of blog updates!  We are going to have a fun-filled 2 weeks of riding in the car! Yes-lots of driving. South Africa is a huge country and we are trying to cover as much as we can in 2 weeks.  Our plan is to drive from Jo-burg to Cape Town. In Cape Town we are going to celebrate the New Year, visit Table Mountain, Boulders Beach (to see the penguins) and drive to the most southern point of the Cape.  We are going from there and driving along the Garden Route to Jeffrey's Bay- the mega hot spot for surfing and spend a few days on the beach. Stay tuned!

Christmas is only a week away but celebrations here are much more subdued than in the US.  No fresh cut trees are available here.  All trees are artificial and a lot of people only put up table top trees or don't put up a tree at all. The climate just isn't suited to growing evergreen trees and South Africa does not want to introduce trees here that are not indigenous, which I understand. Big Christmas light displays are rare and that is probably a good thing.  Too many Christmas lights would probably strain the power grid and leave us in the dark all of December! Father Christmas (Santa Claus) is available for photos at the malls for three days before Christmas only.  People do buy gifts and host Christmas dinners with turkey and ham (which South Africans call gammons) but there isn't the month long build-up and over-the-top decorating like we have at home. I miss that! We are the only home in our neighborhood that has hung lighted garland on our balcony rail. New Year's Day is the big holiday here. Almost like our 4th of July - picnics, cook-outs, pool parties, fireworks. 


Yes, I did mention UFOs in the title.  A few weeks ago Jo-burg hosted a weekend long UFO convention. A week or so before the convention Jon got a call that came straight through to his desk, which is unusual because you would have to know his extension.  The caller asked if he could buy communication space on one of Intelsat's satellite.  Jon asked what his need was to be able to refer him to the right sales person.  The man explained that he had been in communication with aliens on Mars for several years, planning for them to come and retrieve him from Earth and take him back to Mars.  He needed satellite communication abilities to coordinate with his alien friends for his final extraction time and place.  Jon asked if this was some sort of prank but the caller ensured him it wasn't. Jon politely explained he couldn't help him.  (Begin humming the tune from the Twilight Zone)

Happy Holidays to All-  Jon and Jody

Diepsloot and the Gingerbread Man

The school year is drawing to a close in Diepsloot. Last week we had out last lesson with our 4th grade students. We began the week before with each of our groups reading one of three stories-The Three Little Pigs, Three Billy Goats Gruff or The Gingerbread Man.  At the end of each book was a short play of the story that each group could perform for the other groups. Each group practiced their parts and one of the volunteers made these fantastic masks for the actors to hold while they read their parts.  My group read The Gingerbread Man and while they liked the story, many students had never seen or eaten a gingerbread man cookie. They day of our plays I went to the local bakery and bought gingerbread man cookies for the class.  The plays were amazing!  We all enjoyed them so much. The kids were so attentive and encouraging when others were nervous or couldn't remember how to pronounce a word.  After all the plays were done, we surprised everyone with a cookie of their own. Some of the students jumped right in and ate theirs quickly, especially after one of the teacher-volunteers told them to eat the legs first so the cookies couldn't run away (just like in the story). Others savored them slowly, and still others pocketed them to save for later.  It was a good day all around.

A Diepsloot classroom

 Two of the three billy goats

 the three (actually four) little pigs and the big bad wolf

 
 the gingerbread man cast








kids and cookies!

Decisions for the Osler Family

I know it has been a while since my last entry but the truth is that we have settled in to a fairly routine life here in Jo'burg and there hasn't been a lot to share.  Jon continues to work harder than ever. The blog title photo is one of his "press release" photos. If I could make the photo bigger I would but I haven't figured out how to do that. However, he could really be the poster child for the proverbial Protestant work ethic, not to mention the fact that he is still so handsome even at 49. He travels quite a bit, which always makes me worry. Especially after recent incidents in Nigeria and Kenya. You can click on the links to read what is happening but Jon is stubborn and ever the optimist and never seems concerned about his safety.  Of course it scares me to death, especially since both these countries are places Jon visits regularly.  He just teases me that he has excellent life insurance which will have me set for life; at which point I start thinking... face lift, Italian Riviera, a much younger man named Fabio...not a bleak future for me.......just kidding.  I worry every time Jon gets on a plane going anywhere. I absolutely cannot imagine my life without him.

Also- I haven't figured out yet how to make the total blog viewer number to show, but as of today I have had over 1400 "hits" or views of my blog.  I am so appreciative! And if I can get my husband's attention long enough I will have him figure out why the hits don't show on the website.  The number shows when I am editing the site but not when you just access the site.  Anyway- thank you to everyone who has accessed my blog-more than 1400 hits so far!  Thank you!!!!

Our son Jonathan is doing well.  He is in his last year at the University of Virginia, graduating in May 2012 with a degree in Foreign Affairs.  Since his early high school years he has thought of nothing but going to law school after college.   He took the LSAT (Law School Entrance Exam) earlier this fall and scored very well (92% percentile). Jon and I are both so proud of him and know how hard he worked for this score.  He came to SA in June over his summer break and we spent many nights practicing the logic games in preparation for the exam.  He is in the process of applying to law schools now and we will see what happens.  No matter what, Jon and I are so proud of our only child that it wouldn't matter if he got accepted into the Acme Night School of Law along side Wylie E. Coyote (Ok-maybe that's pushing it). 

I (Jody) have probably struggled the most with this move to Africa.  I miss having my own classroom more than you can imagine (unless you are a teacher), not to mention just being in the Good Ole US of A and being closer to family and friends.  I have found some wonderful substitutes for my time - volunteering with a group of other women at a settlement school teaching English skills, tutoring private school and American School students in various subjects, and consulting on some projects for an NGO, Mindset. In the mean time, I applied for the PhD program at the University of Pretoria. I have always wanted to earn my PhD in Education.  Since 1994 in South Africa, there has been a struggle for democracy, not only politically but in education as well. As poorly as the US education system may be perceived, curriculum design and professional development are still light years ahead of SA.  While SA's examination system is challenging ( a lot of writing and rote memorization), in my mind there doesn't seem to be a purposeful, relevant connection between the learning and the real world. Many students in SA are not taught the skills they need to be successful and teachers are not taught how to best address the needs of students.  My research proposal is how to implement the use of Professional Learning Communities in schools, not only to improve student achievement but also to improve teacher professional development. I have personally participated in PLCs in Georgia and was a PLC facilitator in Virginia and am a whole-hearted proponent. My proposal was accepted ( as of 28 Oct, 2011).  Now what I (and Jon and JB) have to decide is whether or not to commit another 3 or 4 years to staying in SA for me to complete my PhD.  Jon has been so supportive and wants me to do what is best for me.  And I want him to do what is best for him.  An amazing marriage for sure....but good decision-making abilities....not so certain!

Our adventures in South Africa continue.....stay tuned!

Airport Musings

I have always loved to people-watch and there is no better place to do this than an international airport.  I have found in the last 10 months that I am at Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport about every two or three weeks either picking up or dropping Jon off.  The photo above is of the international arrivals area where everyone pours out after having passed through immigration, baggage claim and customs.  I have noticed two amusingly consistent things:

Singapore Air
flight attendant

1. International arrivals often arrive together in clumps.  The flight crews always come through the doors first, never having to wait for bags and passing through crew immigration gates.  As I stand waiting for Jon I have learned to recognize some of the prettier flight attendant uniforms such as those of Emirates Air and Singapore Air.  I can always recognize the American flight attendants, not for their beautiful uniforms but for the Bed, Bath and Beyond and Target bags strapped to their luggage carts.  When I see those shopping bags coming out the doors then I know Jon isn't far behind.

Emirates Air flight attendants

2. As you can see from the photo, O.R. Tambo is a huge, modern airport. There is really nothing traditionally African about it.  Even the music playing through the airport is American.  What is fun to watch are all the tourists arriving for the first time in Africa to venture out on their long-anticipated and usually costly African safaris.  For many safaris in southern Africa, Jo'burg is the starting point. It is just a few hours drive from here to the Kruger National Park.  These tourists come through the arrival doors looking at the drivers' signs hoping to see their last names or the tour company name for the ride that will start them on their great African adventure.  They are completely decked out from head to toe in their safari clothes. They have bought out their local Columbia store and are wearing their Sunguard safari hats, their zip-off safari trousers, their hiking boots, trail packs....only to step out into the flourescent lighting of the three-story tall arrivals atrium with Lady Gaga singing on the loudspeakers.  I want to tell them that the only wild animals they are going to see in Jo'burg are the giant rats that skitter across intersections and sidewalks under cover of night.  But soon enough they will be out in the Bush capturing the Big Five on camera, and since this will be the last air conditioning they will enjoy for a few weeks, I just smile to myself and keep watching for a blonde man in a blue blazer to come through the doors.  I left my sign that says OSLER in the car.  I hope he recognizes me.

Latest Happenings in SA

This past weekend down toward Cape Town was the 20th annual Hermanus Whale Festival. 
Hermanus/Walker Bay area is reputed to be the best land-based whale watching area in the world. Every year at this time the Southern Right Whales return to this area for the spring/summer season.  It is estimated that 200 whales will come to the bay and the Festival brings 150,000 people to watch.  If we are here next year I would definitely like to go.

I am still volunteering at the Diepsloot Combined School. I am up to 3 mornings per week right now as we have added a new project, which is cleaning up the library and getting it to a point where it is usable.  The school hasn't had a librarian for over a year, in which time the library has fallen into a mess of unpacked boxes, stacks of periodicals, and stacks of unshelved books.  At some point there was a drive in the white community to donate used books to the school library (which serves students in all 12 grades).  These boxes have been collecting over the year and have simply piled up, unopened.  We estimate there are over 100 boxes plus stacks and stacks of magazines.  There are also unopened, still shrink-wrapped school-purchased books, novel sets and teacher resources that are sitting in a corner collecting dust.  Three of us started last week unpacking and sorting the used books by general subject or topic: fiction, non-fiction, history, math, science, etc.  Sadly, many of the donated books are useless to the students here.  It is obvious that people just cleaned off their bookshelves of unwanted books (medical texts from the 1960s is one example) and so after unpacking them, we repacked them to ship them to the local prison library.  Our ultimate goal is to get all the books unpacked, sorted, Dewey Decimal numbered and shelved.  Then we would like to start having classes come through for a library orientation and train students, teachers and volunteers how to keep the library in working order and to ensure the library functions as a useful resource for students and faculty. We estimate it will take 6 months or so to do this.

Hope all is well with everyone. Please stay in touch!  Jody

Amsterdam

Last week I had the opportunity to go to Amsterdam with Jon, who was attending the International Broadcast Conference.  Neither of us had been before and I must say I saw much more of this beautiful city than Jon did.

Amsterdam has quite a history. You can read about it by clicking here. The best way to see the city is on one of the many canal boat tours.  There are several companies that provide hop-on hop-off service. It is also a terrific city for walking or riding bikes and it has an extensive tram/train service for getting around.  I was not brave enough for a bike. My concern was I would either get hit by a car, a tram, a motorbike or simply fall into a canal. 

Among the sites I visited were the Rijksmuseum, the Hermitage Amsterdam, the Rembrandt House and the Anne Frank House.  The Anne Frank House was incredibly moving (like the Holocaust Museum in DC).  It was reverently quiet and chilling when you think about what these families endured.  Unfortunately it was pouring so I have no photos.  I skipped the Heineken Brewery tour and Jon and I made the obligatory walk through the Red Light District.  WOW!  I lead a very sheltered life.


Hope you enjoy the photos and the brief explanations.

Typical view of the city

Amsterdam is filled with streetside cafes and the cafes are filled
when the weather is good.

Holland's windmills were used for sawing wood
which made them the largest shipbuilding and trading country
in the world in the 1600s. The Dutch East India
Company, is still around today, would be the size of
Microsoft and Coca Cola combined.

The Rijksmuseum, home to the Dutch Masters, among many
others.

Locals say the canals here are 3 meters deep. the 1st meter is
water, the 2nd meter is mud and the 3rd meter is bicycles.

Grand Central Station and the electric tram lines in the
foreground. Grand Central and the Rijksmuseum are identical
buildings built by the same architect.

The Rembrandt House, one of my favorite sites.

The iconic houseboats

The Hermitage Museum Amsterdam. Another favorite
site of mine.  It had the Art of the Russian Orthodox Church on display.

Even in the fall the flowers are beautiful

The South African National Anthem and Rugby World Cup

Last Thursday was a big day in SA as the country sent their national rugby team, the Springboks, off to New Zealand for the Rugby World Cup (SA is the current rugby world champ). There was a big send-off here in Jo'burg with bands, lots of beer, and the team making an appearance, signing autographs and posing for photos.  At one point everyone sang the national anthem, which is a beautiful song.  The words, on the other hand, are another story.  But it is an interesting story, to say the least. It consists of five languages. Following is a brief history of the anthem, the anthem itself and then the English translation.  I found this information on www.southafrica.info.

Before South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994, the country had two anthems – an official and an unofficial one. The official anthem was Die Stem, in English The Call of South Africa. The unofficial anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, was a symbol of independence and resistance to apartheid, sung by the majority of the population and at all anti-apartheid rallies and gatherings. In the official anthem of the new South Africa, the two anthems merge into one.

Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika
Maluphakanyisw' uphondo lwayo,
Yizwa imithandazo yethu,
Nkosi sikelela, thina lusapho lwayo.

Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso,
O fedise dintwa le matshwenyeho,
O se boloke, O se boloke setjhaba sa heso,
Setjhaba sa South Afrika – South Afrika.

Uit die blou van onse hemel,
Uit die diepte van ons see,
Oor ons ewige gebergtes,
Waar die kranse antwoord gee,

Sounds the call to come together,
And united we shall stand,
Let us live and strive for freedom,
In South Africa our land.

The isiXhosa and isiZulu of the first stanza, the Sesotho of the second stanza and the Afrikaans of the third stanza translate into English as follows:

Lord, bless Africa
May her spirit rise high up
Hear thou our prayers
Lord bless us.

Lord, bless Africa
Banish wars and strife
Lord, bless our nation
Of South Africa.

Ringing out from our blue heavens
From our deep seas breaking round
Over everlasting mountains
Where the echoing crags resound ...

You can click on the link below to hear the song and follow along with the lyrics.  Be sure to have your speakers on!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXKur2FAN7g 

What's New in Jo'burg

Sorry for the long absence.  It has been a busy summer.  After Jonathan visited we flew back to the US for our annual trip to Squam Lake, New Hampshire with Jon's family and then I flew down to Florida to help my mom with packing up her large home after a quick sale and her purchase of a smaller duplex into which she is moving as I write this.

I have been back almost a week and thought I would update everyone on what is new here.  First of all, the worst of winter is finally over and I think I missed the worst of it anyway while I was in the US.  Winter is the dry season and now with the August winds blowing all you need to do for a little facial micro-dermabrasion is stand outside facing the wind. Who needs an expensive spa?  Seriously, the skies are clouded with blowing sand. You can taste it on your lips, you wipe it from your eyes, it blows in through the cracks in our doors and windows at home.  The spring rains will begin in October/November but until then I guess we will be dry (but at least we are warm!).

Sunday we went to St. Michael's Anglican Church for the first time.  It was our first church visit since we arrived in Jo'burg. It is a very traditional church from the outside-a small red brick church with stained glass windows.  The inside is very Tudor-styled with the arched and beamed ceilings.  It was lovely.  The congregation was racially mixed and a further mix of young and old. The service is very similar to the Episcopal Church with which we are very familiar so it seemed to go fairly well at first.  When it came time to sing the traditional parts of the service, the Sanctus (Holy, Holy, Holy) and others, they were all sung in an African language, Zulu I am guessing.  Jon and I were quite lost needless to say but it was certainly another reminder we are in Africa! 

Today for the first time I joined several other volunteers from the American Society who go weekly to Diepsloot (one of the settlements near us) and work with elementary age students who are struggling with their English skills.  South African education is all English-based.  Everything is taught in English and all books and other resources are printed in English.  For most children in Diepsloot, their native language is Sepedi, a northern South African and Zimbabwean language.

We met with 15 4th graders who were recommended by their teachers as needing more one on one help.  I sat with 4 students, 3 boys and one girl, all wearing their gold and blue school uniforms.  They were all polite, eager, and surprisingly clean (considering how hard the wind was blowing and how dusty their school grounds were). But upon closer inspection you could see the tatters in their uniforms, the unraveling of cuffs and hems, the holes and worn spots.  Some of the women who were there today also volunteer to go in and mend uniforms for the students.  We worked for 90 minutes on pronouns and silent "e" words and like any other children in the world got antsy and bored at different times.  But it was so wonderful to be back with kids and in a school.  I am going to start going in on Mondays as well and perhaps will put in some extra days to help in the library.

The title photo is of a group of boys from Diepsloot Combined Schools that was taken on a field trip to the Jo'burg Zoo 2 years ago.  The group I am volunteering with (called Edu-Fun) is planning another trip in October this year.  It should be a blast!

Diepsloot Combined School Grounds

KENYA

The picture above is what Mt. Kilimanjaro would have looked like the day Jonathan and I visited Amboseli National Park. Only problem was that it was so overcast and hazy we could only make out a small bit of the snow cap every once in a while.  But that is okay.  We still had a great day but I will come back to all that.

Jon had to go to Nairobi on business while Jonathan was visiting. We wrangled some frequent flyer tickets (as luck would have it, Kenya Airways is a Delta partner) and went along.  Nairobi is about a 3 1/2 hour flight from Johannesburg.  We stayed in a brand new hotel, which was a good thing because Nairobi for the most part is pretty old.  Jonathan and I knew we only had one good sightseeing day available to us so we got a driver who drove us 4 hours to Amboseli National Park which is right on the Kenya/Tanzanian border.  It was a bumpy road and very desolate landscape.  About half way there we stopped at a "curio" shop to use the bathroom and browse the souvenirs.  After being quoted an exhorbitant amount of money for some trinkets, I let him know I didn't have anywhere near that much cash.  He said that was okay, he took credit cards.  Jonathan and I looked at each other and laughed.  As if I would give this guy out in the bush my credit card number!

We drove in to Amboseli National Park. When I say "drove" I mean bounced, shook, swayed.  We drove the last hour of the trip over some of the most bone-jarring, teeth-rattling washboard dirt roads I have ever been on. We passed Massai warriors in traditional red dress herding cattle through the dry bush with their long thin staffs.  The park itself is enormous and for the most part just scrubby bush until you get deep inside where you find this giant lush area full of tall grasses and swampy wetlands.  This area is created by a large underground river that runs down from Mt. Kilimanjaro.  Here the herds of zebra, wildebeest, elephant, and hippo gather to eat, drink and cool off along with hundreds of birds. 

It is early in the migration of many of the herd animals that move each season to find water and food.  Amboseli is not the best place to see the annual migrations but we did see scores of animals. 

At lunch the driver took us to one of several lodges in the national park. This lodge, the Serena Lodge, was literally an oasis in the middle of this desert-like bush.  It was green and almost tropical.  The lobby was open-air and the restaurant had a buffet with white linen tablecloths and silver chafing dishes. What I thought was incredible is the fact that the entire national park is 2 hours from any civilization and has no electricity.  All these lodges operate on generators.  This lodge had about 90 rooms, which we didn't see but it did have a beautiful outdoor pool area and other public spaces. You could sit outside and look out over the bush and see the animals if they wandered close by.  There were monkeys on the hotel property.  Jonathan enjoyed the break after lunch, especially after the long ride.

The grounds of the lodge

Jonathan chillin' by the pool

 When we left Amboseli to drive back to Nairobi we saw this group of school children at the entrance to the park.  I am guessing they were on a field trip.  Sure beats any field trip I was ever on!

Our last night in Kenya we ate at the Carnivore restaurant. It is a tourist attraction/novelty but everyone says you have to go when you are there.  They cook all kinds of meat over an open fire and bring it around on spits to carve it directly onto your plate.  It was delicious!  The guys got brave and tried the crocodile, camel, and even ox balls.  I stuck with the traditional fare.

Our departure from Kenya was delayed by a day.  When we got to the airport the boards showed our plane had been canceled.  After much time standing in line (we were not alone, several other Kenya Air flights had been canceled) we were re-scheduled for the next day.  The airline put us up in an "African 5-star" hotel. Let's just say I slept with all my clothes on.  Anyway, rumor has it that several Kenya Air jets had been used to transport Kenyan dignitaries that day to the new country of South Sudan, where they were celebrating their newly won independence from Sudan.  The story goes that the festivities lasted longer than thought and the planes didn't make it back in time to operate for the Saturday night flights. I don't know if it is true but it makes for a good story.

I am in the US for a few weeks visiting family but I will be updating the blog as soon as I can.  Thanks for hanging in and checking it out. Much love to all-Jody

PS-don't forget to click on the highlighted sections to be taken to websites that will give you more info on those topics.  You can also become a follower of the blog and get emails when the blog has been updated.

The Rhino and Lion Game Reserve

Last Sunday the three of us went to the Rhino and Lion Game Reserve about 45 minutes outside Jo'burg.  It is a private game reserve that specializes in (you guessed it) rhinos and lions.  There is an animal creche where you can pet the white lion and Bengal tiger cubs.  Of course we had to do that and I could have stayed all day playing with these adorable babies.  Tigers are not native to Africa so it was a great thrill to see them.  White lions are white due to a rare genetic disorder.  Because they are white, they are very easy to spot in the wild which makes them much more exposed to predators.  The cubs we played with will eventually be released into the reserve to roam once they are too big or too aggressive to be around humans.  The animal handler told us that whether in captivity or in the wild, big cats eat only once or twice a week and sleep up to 18 hours per day.  I see where our cat Mobius gets his sleeping habits. Unfortunately he eats non-stop. Thankfully I don't have to bring home carcasses for him.

Because the cats have been raised by humans they are quite tame and cannot hunt on their own.  They are fed by the park employees.  In the adult lion habitat dead horses or cows are brought in several times a week to be fed to the lions.  We were there for a feeding and it was incredible to watch the lion pride slowly make its way down from the hills to the feeding area as feeding time approached.  Eventually the flat bed truck with the animal carcass began making its way down the hill.  The lions started running along beside the truck.  All three of us were discussing which employee had the lucky job of pushing the carcass out of the truck for the lions to feed. That issue was quickly settled when the lions just jumped on the still-moving truck and dragged the carcass off to begin feeding.  As the two head males ate, the one younger male and the 3 females waited somewhat impatiently for their turn.  They began to creep slowly closer.  When they got too close, the older males made it clear it wasn't time for them to eat yet.  The message was sent with some loud roaring and a few swipes of some huge paws. I am a little sad that the lions do not get to hunt for themselves but the park is huge and well maintained and the animals all appeared well-taken care of and content. 

A lion and his lioness relaxing in the sun

Waiting for the food to be delivered

The food truck arrives.
The land is black from a recent brush fire.
This is common here in the dry season and we
see several brush fires a night sometimes.

The park is also known for its work with rhinos.
Mother and her baby rhino.

A rescued baby rhino whose parents were killed by poachers
in Kruger Park, SA. The baby was brought here to keep safe.

Warthogs have been re-introduced to the highveld by this game reserve.