Monday, August 8, 2011

Peninsula Tour

 

The pictures from the game reserve were astonishing, but those from today’s peninsula tour were so phenomenal. The scenery of the southern coast of South Africa may end up being the most beautiful I will ever see.

We started out going through the city of Cape Town surrounded by amazing mountains including Table Mountain – the flat-topped mountain that forms a prominent landmark overlooking the city.  We made a few stops for pictures and a picnic lunch as we made our way all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope.  This area is best known for its picturesque shoreline and its long, wide, sandy beach. 

We passed the mountain range called the “Twelve Apostles” because of its many peaks. We stopped at Hout Bay at a great craft market. We came back up the False Bay coast, through Simonstown and back to the St. Rafael’s. The ride back got very exciting when the bus had to stop for a large family of baboons!  There were at least a dozen on both sides of the road.  A couple of smaller (younger?) baboons were wrestling and playing right in the middle of the road.  On the left we had several climbing up the rocks – which were extremely close to the bus (the road is so narrow that two buses cannot pass each other.

Baboons on the side of the road

 

Hiking up Cape Point

It's Colder than it looks!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

The weather again is just beautiful.  70’s, sunny and lovely.

Again we are lucky to be singing with the UWC chamber choir – now close friends after so many performances and rehearsals together.  Everyone is exchanging Facebook addresses – it’s pretty cool.  Mr. Peter Roux, the UWC choir director, is wonderful to work with.  He uses humor to keep the kids inspired and paying attention, and he’s very energetic. 

The concert today was the best yet!  The church was packed to capacity.  600 people or more! The applause was thunderous!  At one point Mr. Roux told the crowd that the last song would be the national anthem which caused one enthusiastic audience member to jump up and shout, “young American voices singing our anthem is brilliant!”

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Nelson Mandela Day at the University of the Western Cape

 

We're back at the university getting ready for our joint concert with three different choirs to celebrate Nelson Mandela Day.  We've seen these university chorus students a number of times now and the two choruses greet each other with hugs and familiarity; the shyness all but evaporated. My personal favorite is watching the kids gather around the grand piano to spontaneously sing pop songs - obviously delighting in each other's company.  Another thrill that I can't seem to get over is seeing posters plastered all around with the Boston City Singers chorus picture announcing our concerts in the various areas. 

 

Noon concert by the UWC Student Center

Learning new dance to Shosoloza

Rehearsal with UWC students

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Game Park! Hot Springs!

Only pictures will do to share this experience!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Today we had our township tour.  “Langa”, is not the biggest township in Cape Town but it is the oldest.  We learned that it was built as housing for 5,000 single working men in 1927 but today has expanded to a population of over 80,000 men, women and children. Langa is one of the many areas in South Africa that were designated for Black Africans before the apartheid era. This township was also the location of much resistance to apartheid.  

We started with a brief walk through one of the streets where many folks in the Xhosa language greeted us.  (Thanks to our local Mambuti for teaching us some important greetings.  Xhosa is a clicking language and the children picked it up much easier than the adults.

Our first stop was to a pottery cooperative. Anyone over the age 16 could be eligible to learn the craft.  There is guidance and sometimes funding for graduates to begin their own business.  It’s a perfect example of how a micro-enterprise can employ many and sustain whole families and communities.

Langa Pottery Co-op

 "Imagine trying to keep up with a day like today.

 It’s just that each stop, each site, each new school or choral group

 gives us so much love, so much energy and music and dance,

that it almost chokes me up with the awe of it all."

Selling Meat

Moving right along, our next stop was for an interactive African musical instrument workshop.  This was a time for the kids to really let their hair down. Drumming, flutes, dances, and a finish of homemade ginger ‘beer’ (no alcohol, no worries.)  The three performers were so talented and obviously used to getting kids to move and participate.  The energy and excitement was high and I wish I could get you all to come here and spend time with these musicians!

 

          

      

Next stop, Dalukhanyo Pre-School.  I know I’ve written about how the school children seem to gather around our kids like rock stars.  At the pre-school level though, it’s altogether a different thing.  The children hug us from all sides.  Pulling on our arms, hanging around our legs, asking to be carried or hugged.  I had one little boy kissing my hand so beautifully.  I look around and see your children laughing out loud as they are being loved to death.  Imagine our Denis or Auston both 6’ tall, bending down to hug dozens of 2-5 year olds. The pre-schoolers sang and danced for us.  I wish we didn’t have to leave….but of course…..

Next stop Hlengisa Primary School.   The chorus from this school was very disciplined.  They sounded beautiful.  They formed a semi-circle with our kids (about 120 kids total) with both choruses intertwined.  Then one chorus would sing and dance and the other would follow along.  We took turns back and forth and really enjoyed the exchange.  But no time to dally….

Welcome dance at Phakama Secondary School

After a quick sandwich lunch under a tree we went to Phakama Secondary School.  This High School choir was waiting for us by forming two lines at the school’s entrance.  When we got off the bus, they started to sing and dance. Unbelievable voices; an extremely accomplished chorus.  They took Isabel’s hand and led her to dance and then others invited our students to stand by them and soon the two choruses were again interacting and dancing together.  We entered the school and received the most impressive concert!  We shared some of our songs too and then the two choruses interacted in the way all high school kids interact apparently across the world.  Email addresses were exchanged and friendships were formed.  We were all so happy to be sharing our music with such a talented group of students.”

Making friends!

 

Monday, August 1, 2011

Keeping up our pace - four wonderful events today – a visit to the Castle of Good Hope, the District 6 Museum, spectacular sunny gardens for Jenny’s wonderful sandwiches and the US Consulate in Bishops Court. Today’s surprises:

·      the 10:00 a.m. cannon, small, but powerful, scattering a family of 10 ducks back a few feet,

·      an amazing docent – this time a displaced resident of District Six, and

·      a warm and gracious audience with Dr. Mayberry at the US Consulate!

     

 

The fourth wonder may be that we were largely able to keep to our schedule, thanks to Leonard and our skilled team of drivers!

 

Saturday and Sunday, July 30 - 31

A wonderful weekend of singing and learning with the newly formed Chamber Choir of the University of the Western Cape with their skilled conductor, Peter Roux. We were all warmly welcomed by Clarence Bester and his most generous congregation, who not only housed all of us, but fed us spectacularly. We rehearsed extensively on Saturday, and sang twice on Sunday – an early morning service at our host church, St Andrews, and in the afternoon with our new friends from UWC at a concert in a neighboring high school.  Funds were raised for the outreach missions of St. Andrews.

Renee writes of her weekend:

On Saturday- My host family and I had a south African Braai – which is sort of like a bar-b-que.  In the Braai we had “pup and chutney”.  Pup is like grits but light-weight and the chutney is like a relish but more like a sauce.  There was also a sausage but it wasn’t in links but looonnnggg.  There was also fresh squeezed juice – everything was delicious.

The parents in my host family were from different parts of South Africa and they speak Afrikaans as well as English. 

My host family woke me up on Sunday at 6:30am so that we would be on time for the church service.  It was different then my church.  After the church service was over, we went to the market that was across the street from the church. It was fun to barter with the vendors.