PHEDIŠANG RESIDENTIAL 2010

It is not hard to give a factual account of trip to the Phedišang residential project that a group of 15 grade 11 Roedean girls went on but it is hard to describe the true nature of the experience, to define the affect that this trip had on us, how it changed the way we now see the world around us. But hey, there is no harm in trying.
I was looking forward to the trip the way I have always looked forward to school camps. I arrogantly assumed I had a pretty good idea about what our 5 day stay there would be like. I could not have been more wrong. I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of the London mission (our home from the 19th to the 24th of August). We, in the interest of unity, decided to all sleep in the same room even if it was a bit cramped, after a quick shower and crash course of sePedi (the language spoken in Limpopo) we sat down to what the first of many great meals that we would all take turns in cooking.

The next morning we visited 5 of the 7 Phedišang centers in the area where we would be working. We were to work in groups of three and would implement different projects. My group was at Wochester and our job was to paint a large world map on one of the inside walls. Our center was great; there was a large vegetable garden with everything from beetroots to tomatoes, a shady tree, lots of space to run around and a neat well equipped play room. But the real asset of the center as we would soon learn and continue to see – were the children. Their inspiring creativity and courage, their remarkable patience and desire to learn is something I will never forget.

We met the 4 leaders we would be working with on the first day. Their names were Makwena, Dineo, Nakadi and Mawewe. Though they were shy in the beginning soon their true personalities came out. We saw how responsible they were and that all the children in the center looked up to them. They were eager to show us their world and while language barriers prohibited us from getting the answers to all the questions we wanted to ask we got to know them through other means and were sad to say good bye at the end of the 5 days.

The third day was emotionally difficult on so many levels. After a bit of painting in the morning we went on home visits with our leaders. Our first stop was the village sangomas house who not only welcomed us into a world that is usually closed to outsiders but also adorned us with traditional clothing on arrival. One of the people I will never forget was this woman, everything she did was supernatural and amazing. She had a definite aura about her and is truly one of the most amazing human beings that I have ever seen in my life. We saw two ladies in a trance and instead of being scared I was at ease and felt comfortable observing this unfamiliar act. While visiting all our leaders’ houses I felt like a sponge absorbing the details of a life style that was very different from my own. I was so grateful at the way that these leaders gave us a window into their lives and were not embarrassed but presented themselves as they were. Later that evening we went to Pete's house. Pete is a diabetic man who lost his eye sight and one of his legs had to be amputated. More importantly though he was an inspiring ex teacher who was so open to telling us, mere strangers, about his experiences. The emotional sponge that has been absorbing all day could finally not take any more and tears started rolling down all our faces. We decided to sing Pete all the collective songs we could think of.

My rush of emotion was overwhelming. I now know it is possible to feel gratitude, anger, sadness and happiness and the same time. I was so grateful for the life I lead, that I was lucky enough to have two parents, that I was able bodied. I was angry at the injustice that some can have so much and some so little and that precious gems are lost to the circumstance that they are born into. I felt great sorrow for the children that would dies from HIV/AIDS, People who would lose family and friends to aids, who would always have to worry about their next meal and would never live to their full potential. But at the same time I was happy, I was happy that apartheid had come to an end, that I was still young and could still make choices and do things to help change the world and that Phedišang was there and that through it all these children still found something to laugh at every day.

Tia and Wendy were two Peace Corps volunteers who were with us on the trip. Tia was with us at our center and without her our experience would have been one of stress and frustration over the map and we would not have been able to spend as much time with the children as we were able to. We would work in shifts of play with the children, serving lunch and painting the map. But we were somehow able to finish in the 3 days were given and it was great to see the children pointing on the map to the country that Torres comes from and finding Hawaii.

There are so many moments I will never forget; the cycling to the center and back, the satisfaction of teaching tic-tac-toe without words, tickling the children, singing the hokey pokey, helping two of our own girls learn how to ride a bike, the hot Limpopo sun, how to properly stir and serve pap, Yoga outside, laughing over beads, shoveling gravel from one pile to another.

I was lucky enough to have an adventure that I really feel everyone should experience at least once in their lives. People describe community service as giving back to the community but in this case I feel that is not accurate, this residential project was about us just as much as them. As yes we may have enriched their knowledge about the world around them and hopefully planted an idea of ambition and drive to explore the world. But what every single one of those children gave us is so much more valuable, they gave us awareness about something that is a part of every South African. It is us. They inspired me to want to make a difference in the world and help the people living in it. I really do want to go back and spend a week there again so that I can learn how these young children are so strong, brave, friendly, and happy and patient. Anyone can pass on a thought to another person that is either used or ignored but what I got from this experience is more than that. It is a seed that is growing into a strong tree and is now part of who I am.
Namaste

A---- out

Book review of Sula

Novel Review of 'Sula'
One of Morrison's better novels, definitely worth a peek..


The bond between the two central characters of Toni Morisson’s novel ‘Sula', illustrates the power of friendship in a period of oppression (domestic as well as public) and discriminatory forces, such as gender, economics and race. As girls, Sula and Nel find with-in each other a respite from the circumstances in which they live and are thus able to enjoy, rather than endure their childhood. ‘Because each had discovered years before that they were neither white nor male, and all freedom and triumph was forbidden to them, they had set about creating something else to be.’ However, as they progress into adulthood, the nature of their friendship changes dramatically.

From the point of Sula and Nel’s first meeting as twelve year-old girls, they become the best of friends, sharing in everything from perspective and curiosity to secrets and tragedy. Yet, their environment and experiences are where their few similarities begin and end as Sula and Nel are diametrically opposite.
Exciting and unpredictable, Sula lives life in pursuit of pleasure and self-gratification. She rebels against her community and makes no attempt to conform. Nel, quiet and obedient, provides a complete contrast, yet united the young women are able to ‘ create a single, complete individual.’ Their various households also provide complete parallels to their different personalities. Sula grows up in an immoral household which is unconventional, relaxed and in ‘throbbing disorder.’ Sula’s attitude towards sex ‘ pleasant and frequent, but otherwise insignificant’ is subsequent to her mother’s empowered, yet emotionless sexual relationships. Nel lives with-in immaculate walls of restriction and utter confinement. Nonetheless, they co-exist perfectly to the point where they are able to find solace within the other’s environments.

To an extent, the nature and upbringing of the young girls foresees the separate paths they choose later on in their lives. Sula renounces convention, tradition and society’s marginalisations by fleeing the community in search of freedom.Nel stays within the restricting wall of her environment and instead of seeking self-satisfaction, fulfills all of the roles expected of her.However, it is not in Sula’s departure,but rather in her return that marks the turning point in their complex and extraordinary friendship. Her arrival is ‘accompanied by a plague of Robins’ and seems to signal change and destruction from the very beginning. A wife and a mother, Nel has discovered an identity which is her own. Sula has struggled to find intimacy, stability and fulfillment and still needs Nel as much as before. Thus, it was not so much the distance but rather their distinct choices, to rebel and to conform, that drove them apart.
It was through their friendship that Nel and Sula are able to find an escape from their reality. It was their dependence on each-other that allowed them to compensate for each other’s limitations.Their bond superseded dissimilarity, distance and even death


----- L out

Fear

the world is a scary place, don't worry to make us feel better every fear has a name.

here is a list of fears one might relate to...

Ablutophobia- Fear of washing or bathing.
Acarophobia- Fear of itching or of the insects that cause itching.
Acerophobia- Fear of sourness.
Achluophobia- Fear of darkness.
Acousticophobia- Fear of noise.
Acrophobia- Fear of heights.
Aerophobia- Fear of drafts, air swallowing, or airbourne noxious substances.
Aeroacrophobia- Fear of open high places.
Aeronausiphobia- Fear of vomiting secondary to airsickness.
Agateophobia- Fear of insanity.
Agliophobia- Fear of pain.
Agoraphobia- Fear of open spaces or of being in crowded, public places like markets. Fear of leaving a safe place.
Agraphobia- Fear of sexual abuse.
Agrizoophobia- Fear of wild animals.
Agyrophobia- Fear of streets or crossing the street.
Aichmophobia- Fear of needles or pointed objects.
Ailurophobia- Fear of cats.
Albuminurophobia- Fear of kidney disease.
Alektorophobia- Fear of chickens.
Algophobia- Fear of pain.
Alliumphobia- Fear of garlic.
Allodoxaphobia- Fear of opinions.
Altophobia- Fear of heights.
Amathophobia- Fear of dust.
Amaxophobia- Fear of riding in a car.
Ambulophobia- Fear of walking.
Amnesiphobia- Fear of amnesia.
Amychophobia- Fear of scratches or being scratched.
Anablephobia- Fear of looking up.
Ancraophobia- Fear of wind. (Anemophobia)
Androphobia- Fear of men.
Anemophobia- Fear of air drafts or wind.(Ancraophobia)
Anginophobia- Fear of angina, choking or narrowness.
Anglophobia- Fear of England or English culture, etc.
Angrophobia - Fear of anger or of becoming angry.
Ankylophobia- Fear of immobility of a joint.
Anthrophobia or Anthophobia- Fear of flowers.
Anthropophobia- Fear of people or society.
Antlophobia- Fear of floods.
Anuptaphobia- Fear of staying single.
Apeirophobia- Fear of infinity.
Aphenphosmphobia- Fear of being touched. (Haphephobia)
Apiphobia- Fear of bees.
Apotemnophobia- Fear of persons with amputations.
Arachibutyrophobia- Fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Arachnephobia or Arachnophobia- Fear of spiders.
Arithmophobia- Fear of numbers.
Arrhenphobia- Fear of men.
Arsonphobia- Fear of fire.
Asthenophobia- Fear of fainting or weakness.
Astraphobia or Astrapophobia- Fear of thunder and lightning.(Ceraunophobia, Keraunophobia)
Astrophobia- Fear of stars or celestial space.
Asymmetriphobia- Fear of asymmetrical things.
Ataxiophobia- Fear of ataxia. (muscular incoordination)
Ataxophobia- Fear of disorder or untidiness.
Atelophobia- Fear of imperfection.
Atephobia- Fear of ruin or ruins.
Athazagoraphobia- Fear of being forgotton or ignored or forgetting.
Atomosophobia- Fear of atomic explosions.
Atychiphobia- Fear of failure.
Aulophobia- Fear of flutes.
Aurophobia- Fear of gold.
Auroraphobia- Fear of Northern lights.
Autodysomophobia- Fear of one that has a vile odor.
Automatonophobia- Fear of ventriloquist's dummies, animatronic creatures, wax statues - anything that falsly represents a sentient being.
Automysophobia- Fear of being dirty.
Autophobia- Fear of being alone or of oneself.
Aviophobia or Aviatophobia- Fear of flying

... and that is just the ones stating with A-

	Mike Snow - Animal .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

A----out

HACKED!

Talk about scandal. don't put your blog password on facebook, girls :)

you know love me

xoxo

...

whats in a name?

to choose the name of this blog we went through 5,3 long hours, 2893578234 nerve impulses, a box of Woolworths rusks, 65 easter chocolate eggs, 3 iTunes playlists and approximately 20 cups of tea.

and this name did not even come up.

but what can you do.

there will be to much to conceive blogged on this blog, for cereal.

from fashion and gossip to complaints and music..

find it here

"why is everyone so obsessed with us"

A----out