I can't believe it!

First of all, I know I've neglected this blog over the past few weeks (or more). I apologize! I was going to update when I got home from Hobbiton on Hogsback - which I'm sure you learned about on my Facebook page - but then I was busy getting ready for my week-long holiday. During that holiday, I went on a 5-day trip to Cape Town. I SHOULD have updated straight after I got home from there, but then I was busy getting ready to go back to school. And this week at school has been hectic! So...I'm only finding time/remembering to update now. My bad!

I'll say a little bit about each week, because I don't want you to end up spending your afternoon reading a novel. Here goes:

Hobbiton on Hogsback is a nature camp place up in the mountains; it has ropes courses, a zip line, nature trails, and waterfalls. The accommodations left a bit to be desired, but the setting was beautiful. Plus, the 6th graders seemed to have a really good time. I did a lot of things I didn't think I would do, but I realized that any experience I have here is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. So...I might as well! I went on every hike, I jumped off a really tall pole, I went on the zip line, I abseiled down a high wall... It was actually so much fun.

Cape Town was, to say the least, absolutely amazing. There is SO MUCH to do there, and it's impossible to do it all in just 3 days. There are museums, historic buildings, shops, market stalls, the waterfront, tons of beaches, wine country, and of course the famous Table Mountain (which can be seen in the background of almost any view in Cape Town). On our second day of touring the city, we went up Table Mountain in the cable car, and while the journey up was extremely nerve-wracking, the end result was completely worth it. The views on top of the mountain are so stunning, so spectacular. I haven't seen any views like it before, and I highly doubt I will again (until I go back there, of course...sometime...). I was also set to go on the tour of Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, but all the tours on that day got cancelled because of a "technical problem." I was very upset, to say the least, but that just gives me incentive to make my way back to South Africa in the future.

This week at school was pretty crazy; I filled in for two different teachers on Tuesday and Wednesday, which definitely gives me a lot of experience... But I missed being with my fifth graders! I want to spend as much time with them as I can this week, because - get this - it's my LAST WEEK with them! Can you honestly believe it? I have one last week at my school, plus a free week at home to make sure I get everything done I wanted to do and round up all my belongings to pack... And then I come back to America. My three months here is almost up. I am completely flabbergasted. I figured my time here would go by quickly, but not this quickly. I'm pretty sure I just got here the other week! And now I'm preparing to leave!

I'll post one last entry before I go, if not more, just to summarize my time here. If I can remember everything!

Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend...

Today, I got my first taste of having my own classroom. Erin went to visit her old school in Cradock, so she left me in charge of her kiddies today. Everything went as well as it could have gone. It helped that it was a Friday and there were only three lessons I had to teach! The last 15 minutes or so of the day were also dedicated to playing music (namely Rebecca Black's "Friday," which has become a tradition at the end of every week). I have to say, I had so much fun!

Now I've got to spend the weekend getting ready for my 4-day trip to Hobbiton with the grade 6 classes.

Oh, and practicing for my reunion with Amy.

30 Things About Yours Truly :)

I nicked this survey from my dear friend, Rachel, who is also teaching overseas (in South Korea). Love!

1. Five ways to win your heart.

(1) Giving me chocolate. This is the tactic many of my students have taken.

(2) Singing along to Disney songs (preferably with me).

(3) Treating your dog like your child.

(4) Making me laugh. 

(5) Comparing me to some character in Harry Potter - I'm not picky UNLESS it's Voldemort.

2. Something you feel strongly about.

No Child Left Behind. I think it's the stupidest thing that has ever happened to our education system in America's recent history. There isn't enough blog space in the world to accommodate why I think/know it doesn't work.

3. A book you love.

I won't say the Harry Potter series, which I have been reading since I got to South Africa (on book 5 now), even though I do LOVE them. Love love love. Instead, I'll say Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. I am Catherine Morland, and I need to find my Henry Tilney.

4. Bullet your whole day.

• Woke up at 5:50.
• Ate breakfast while trolling on facebook.
• Got dressed, did hair and makeup. 
• Went to school.
• Read some Order of the Phoenix while waiting for Erin to get there. 
• Watched my students take their weekly test.
• Observed math lesson about measurement.
• Observed Afrikaans lesson.
• Break time! Listened to music and ate my lunch from tuckshop.
• Observed English lesson.
• Grade 5 meeting.
• Break time! Listened to music again.
• Admin period, listened to yet more music.
• School ended, talked about nonsense with Erin while still listening to music. I swear, bringing my laptop to school was the best idea ever.
• Got dropped off at the house. 
• Did internets thing - checked e-mail, facebooked, pintrested, etc, etc.
• Did my nails at the kitchen table - OPI Plugged-In Plum.
• Watched a Young & The Restless episode from last November.
• Now watching Oprah!

5. Things you want to say to an ex.

Pass!

6. Your views on mainstream music.

It's popular for a reason - most of it is so darn catchy! The only music I really don't like is rap.

7. Five pet peeves.

(1) Smacking your food or just smacking your lips for no reason.

(2) Lying.

(3) Crinkly bags. 

(4) When the heroine of a romance novel cuts herself off from the hero and doesn't tell him anything - ESPECIALLY if she is carrying his child. GIRL JUST TELL HIM.

(5) Being ignored.

8. What you ate today.

Cheerios, cheese flavored mini-cheddars, toasted chicken mayo sandwich, popcorn, Astros chocolate candy, and I'm getting ready to make some chicken and veggies.

9. How important you think education is.

Ha. I'm becoming a teacher. You do the math (and you better do it right or I will FAIL you.) 

10. Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play.

(1) Otis Redding - Sittin' On the Dock of the Bay

(2) Disney - Heigh Ho

(3) David Cook - Avalanche

(4) Elvis Costello & Burt Bacharach - I'll Never Fall In Love Again

(5) The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

(6) Jonas Brothers - Hold On

(7) The Beatles - Please Mister Postman

(8) Disney - I Wan'na Be Like You (The Monkey Song)

(9) Demi Lovato - Gift of a Friend

(10) Elvis Presley - It's Now or Never

11. Your family.

Is the best. Ever. I would not be who I am today without them, and I really don't think I could live without. My family consists of so many people (all my aunts and uncles and cousins and friends who are nothing less than my family). But my mom and my sister are my rocks. I spend most of my time with them, and I can only truly be my weird self around them. 

My mom is the best woman I know! She is my source of strength and she has shown me what love is all about. I know I can always count on her to be honest with me, to love me no matter what, and to always be there for me (just like I will always be there for her). We can be at loggerheads at times because we're both too sensitive, but in the end, we end up laughing about it.

My sister is my best friend! She is the twin 1 to my twin 2, the Lizzie to my Jane, the Fred to my George (oh wait, just don't think about Fred at the end of Deathly Hallows), the Amy Pond to my 11th Doctor, the Merlin to my Prince Arthur... Okay, now I'm just using characters from our favorite TV shows. But, anyways, Amy seriously is my twin, just born 2 years earlier. We are so in sync with each other's brains it's scary. And weird. We make each other laugh with one look or one word or just something random that would make absolutely no sense to other people. I can't even begin to imagine what my life would be like were I an only child... I don't even want to! I love my sister more than anyone in the world (excluding mommy, of course). 

And of course there's daddy. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him and miss him. He was the most amazing man I've ever known and such a miracle to our family. But if I write too much about him, I'll cry!

12. Five guys whom you find attractive.

(1) Cary Grant

(2) Jake Gyllenhaal

(3) Prince Harry

(4) Rupert Grint

(5) Matt Damon

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS FOR ME TO CHOOSE JUST FIVE?

13. Your opinion about your body and how comfortable you are with it.

Some days I can't tell if I'm comfortable with the way I look or if I'm just too lazy to go to the gym and change it. 

14. What you wore today.

Pink striped button down shirt with a black cardigan over it, hot pink knee-length skirt, black tights, black sparkly flats. And all of my daily essentials: unicorn silly band, white watch, angel ring, mommy's wedding ring, and daddy's wedding ring on a gold chain around my neck.

15. Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality.

I'm an Aquarius and a Snake. I think they both fit me pretty well, actually.

16. Something you always think "what if..." about. 

WHAT IF I could just meet Prince Harry? I'm convinced there would be another royal wedding a few months after that.

17. Something that you're proud of.

I'm proud that I came to South Africa to do my student teaching. I've never done anything like this before, and I was scared out of my MIND before I left. What was I thinking leaving the country and my family for three months to go a place where I knew NOBODY or anything about the culture?! But I did it, and I don't regret it one bit.

18. A problem that you have had.

I'm kind of a shopaholic...

19. Five items you lust after.

(1) Any nail polish.

(2) Real Ray-Ban sunglasses.

(3) Hailee Steinfeld's hair.

(4) Tickets to Newsies at Paper Mill Playhouse.

(5) A park hopper ticket to Disney World.

20. Your fears.

Birds. They're out to get me.

21. How you hope your future will be like.

What I've always imagined it to be.

22. Your academics.

Graduated high school with honors, getting ready to graduate from UGA in December. I've never been extremely hard working when it comes to my studies, but I always end up achieving my goal in the end.

23. Something that you miss.

The variety of fast food that America offers.

24. Five words/phrases that make you laugh.

(1) "What excellent boiled potatoes."

(2)  "Yer gettin' wet, right?"

(3)  "The whole kit and canoodle!"

(4)  "There he goes off to his room to write that hit song 'Alone in my Principles'!"

(5)  "The walrus sings at midnight."

25. Something you're currently worrying about.

I'm worrying about leaving my class. How will I cope without them?!

26. Things you like and dislike about yourself.

Like: I like my sense of style. I like my eyes and my hair (most days). I like my wrists and my fingers and my always polished fingernails. I like my loving, caring heart. I like that I'm not afraid to be who I am, just shy at times. I like that I'm a kid (and a fatty) at heart.

Dislike: I dislike that I'm way too sensitive. I dislike that it's hard for me to let things go, especially things people have done to hurt me or my loved ones. I dislike that I'm too quiet and don't speak up for myself. I dislike my nose. I dislike that I don't seem to have control over my spending. I dislike that I can be sooo lazy. I dislike that I can't cook! 

27. A quote you try to live by.

"Never give up and good luck will find you." -The Neverending Story

28. Somewhere you'd like the move or visit.

I want to visit England SO badly, it's not even funny.

29. Five weird things that you like.

(1) Romance novels (is that weird? I don't know. I'm weird, so my perception of weird is pretty skewed).

(2) The Kennedy assassination (Again, I don't know. But I guess it's weird to be obsessed with a murder).

(3) Unicorns/Aliens/other things that "don't exist" but they really might.

(4) ...I really can't think at the moment. Considering how extremely unathletic I am, I guess it's kinda weird that I enjoy watching sports as much as I do.

(5) Driving during road trips. I DON'T KNOW. JUST THOUGHT OF SOMETHING. I like getting shots. Very weird, I know, but it just feels so satisfying.

30. One thing you're excited for.

Cape Town in 2 weeks!!!!!!!!

It's our game.

I'd have to be really, really, really clueless not to know that the Rugby World Cup started on Friday in New Zealand. Not only do they show commercials for it 'round the clock on TV (and we only get 4 channels at the house), but it's mentioned during Friday assemblies at school, too. It's basically everywhere - as I said to A Laura on Facebook earlier, I can't escape it! I don't mind, however, because I'm really liking Rugby. It's extremely nerve wracking because it's about twice as rough as football and they wear far less padding. And I still don't know any of the rules or terms (what I would think of to call a 'goal,' they call a 'try.' Or something.). But it's still fun to watch - especially as all the guys are BUFF and wear tight jerseys and short shorts :)

Once all the talk about the World Cup started, I assumed the USA wasn't even going to be in the tournament. I'd never heard of any American rugby teams (I mean, have you?). It wasn't until I saw a posting of the four pools when I saw that the USA was, indeed, participating. We're in pool C along with Russia, Ireland, Australia, and Italy. And we had our first game at 8am South Africa time against Ireland. I was up early, anyways, so I watched it. Before playing the national anthems for the two countries, they observed a moment of silence for September 11th. It's crazy how the events of our country affect the world. I know everyone remembers our country uniting after the tragedy, but I'm pretty sure the whole world was uniting along with us. Then, when they played the "Star Spangled Banner," I proudly sang along and actually had tears in my eyes by the end. Nothing like being in another country to make one feel the most patriotic. (In case you were wondering, USA lost to Ireland 10-22. The Springboks also had their first game straight afterward against Wales. They, at least, won 17-16!)

I'm going to steal a picture from my teacher, Erin, just so you all can see how adorable my class is :)

Go Bokke!!!

Getting a bit personal.

Today was such an educational, eye-opening day.

My teacher, Erin, went to a seminar type thing over the weekend and decided to implement something she learned during the LO (Life Orientation) lesson at the end of the day. She put out an empty tin and told the students to write down any problems they might be having on a slip of paper. They would put their problems in the tin, and then we would all go outside and sit in a "care circle" in order to discuss everything that was in the tin. She also got out a small Tigger stuffed animal who would be passed around the circle so everyone in the class got an opportunity to talk about whatever problem.

I swear, I saw about three students put slips of paper into the tin, but come care circle time there were a good handful of slips in there. There was everything from "My friends are fighting and trying to drag me into it" to "This girl gives me nasty looks when I answer a question right" to "My parents are fighting, what do I do?" to "My dad hasn't had a job in a long time and my parents are having trouble paying their bills."

Obviously my heart broke any number of times. Especially when almost every student in the class chose to share that their parents have fought in the past or are fighting now, as well. I've only known these kids for a little over four weeks, but I already wish I could take all their problems.

I also attempted to give advice every time Tigger was passed to me, just to make sure the anonymous student knows I care about them. I know how much students look up to their teachers, and I know how excited the students get when I teach them :) So, I figured the least I could do was show my support and try to help them in any way I could,

The "Care Circle" is definitely something I'd love to implement in my own future classroom. I've seen that it can be successful, and it's a really good way to encourage unity, friendship, and problem solving among the students.

Today also got me thinking: I want so badly to help all of these kids with their social, emotional, mental, etc etc problems. Why didn't I just major in child psychology?! Oh, well - there's always a Master's degree!

(OH! And I promise my next entry will be much more uplifting/happy. I'm going to another game reserve on Saturday! Animals!!)

First Time For Everything...

The past few days have been filled with firsts for me! Well, actually, only two that I can think of...

1) I saw elephant, zebra, ostrich, warthog, and various antelope in the wild for the first time. One of the grade 5 teachers took me to Addo Elephant National Park. It's a ~500,000 acre nature reserve that houses a ton of different animals, including lion, leopard, rhino, and water buffalo, along with the animals I listed above. It's fenced in, but there is virtually no human intervention. The only things man-made are the watering holes. What you do is this: drive around in your car for HOURS searching for any sign of wildlife. If the weather is warm and sunny, you have a way better chance of seeing lots of animals up close. If the weather is cool and sunny (like it was on Saturday), there's less of a chance. But, boy did I still see some amazing sights. About 10 minutes into driving after lunch, we came upon a herd of no less than nine elephant (including four calf) on the side of the road. It was just stunning. I couldn't take enough pictures. I'll be going back one more time for sure, hopefully more! I REALLY want to see the lion!

2) I missed a day of student teaching. I have been part-time student teaching since this time last year, and I have not missed ONE day of it. Now, after being in the classroom full-time for not even 2 weeks, I miss a day :( I woke up with a terrible sore throat, congestion, headache - and it got worse before it got (a little) better. I feel okay now (just okay, though), so hopefully I can return to school tomorrow. I missed my students!

You'd think after resting in bed all day I wouldn't be tired. But, I'm exhausted. Must be blowing your nose takes a lot of energy...

My first week.

I would say that my first week at Herbert Hurd Primary School went quite well. All I did was observe, but I'm there full-time for 10 or 11 weeks, so there was no need to jump into teaching immediately. The students, however, kept asking "When is Miss Brodnax going to teach us? Can Miss Brodnax teach us English tomorrow? Why is she so quiet?" To which my mentor teacher replied, "She's going to teach you in three week's time. She's just watching all of you right now, writing a report about you for her university." That made all the kids sit up a bit straighter :)

The layout of the school day is really different from the layout I'm used to in America. Here, there are no set times for lunch or specials. They have a different order of lessons every day, and subjects like art, music, and P.E. are worked in one day a week. There are two fifteen minute breaks - one at 10:40 and one at 12:50. Those are the times that teachers and students can be away from each other and eat. There is also no cafeteria. Students either bring their lunch or buy food from the tuck shop (I got a yummy toasted tomato and cheese sandwich there one day). I actually really like this setup. It seems less stressful than taking your students to the lunch room, making sure they get their food, racing back to your classroom to gobble your sandwich before you have to go get them again.

Oh, and did I mention the school day is shorter? :) Learning time goes from 8am to 2pm, and I haven't heard any complaints from any teacher about there not being enough time to teach something. Plus, their school year is about 20 days longer than ours with lots of breaks throughout. I honestly think more American schools should look into that.

But, now, I have a 4-day weekend in which I plan to do hardly anything but keep on re-reading the Harry Potter series (I'm on book 2). I'll be observing some more the three days of next week, and after that, I start helping out more. Can't wait!

My first day.

Before I get to my first day of student teaching, allow me to tell you about my weekend!

On Saturday, I had pizza with bananas on it. It was surprisingly delicious, so now I'll have to make my family put bananas on frozen pizza. We also watched National Treasure, one of my favorite movies. What I realized, though, is that it's kind of strange to watch a movie full of American history while in another country.

On Sunday, we went to the beach! It was a beautiful day, ergo the beach was pretty crowded. But now I can say I've seen an ocean that's not the Atlantic!

Okay, now I'll tell you all about my first day of student teaching. I got there at 7:40am or so and went straight into a staff meeting. The principal was talking about school stuff and birthdays and whatnot, and then he said my name! He welcomed me to the school, said where I was from, and completely embarrassed me. One of the teachers even added me in during the prayer, hoping I feel comfortable and find a home at Herbert Hurd. Honestly, I could not have felt more welcome.

My first impression of my mentor teacher, Erin, is as follows: SO COOL! She jokes around with the students all the time, she isn't strict or mean but firm when needed, and she is basically the teacher I have been planning to be for the past year and a half. I am so incredibly excited to get to know her better personally and as a teacher. 

My first impression of the students is as follows: So. Well. Behaved. Yes, they chatter, but compared to what I've dealt with in Athens, they were like angels. They stand up to greet the teachers in the morning and the afternoon. They say "ma'am" all the time (even to me!). And these particular kids seem very sweet, and they could not stop complimenting me. "Ma'am, I like your hair. Ma'am, I like your smile. Ma'am, you're very pretty." (Just imagine those words being said by a 10-year-old in a South African accent! I almost died!) If nothing else, being a teacher is definitely good for my self-esteem.

I can't believe my student teaching is here already. It seems like last week I was applying to get into the program at UGA. And now I'm beginning the last leg of the journey. Crazy!

One for the history books...

I have found out the hard way that an ice cream cone from Steers is the best medicine for the lowest bowling score EVER.

That is all.

p.s. My score was 21... no comment.

Sound familiar?

Let's see. Today, I went shopping at the mall. Later, I watched the first two Harry Potter movies while eating a burger and fries (chips). Wait, where am I again? Because that sounds awfully lot like a normal day in the good ole U.S. of A. Needless to say, I definitely felt right at home today!

I'm living in a house with four other people - two girls and two guys. All of them have been extremely welcoming and nice to me. Driving me back and forth from the store, dealing with my international credit card issues, making sure I've eaten something, inviting me to do fun stuff (like having a week-long Harry Potter movie marathon). One of my housemates even offered to buy a dachshund puppy! The only thing was I had to take it home with me. Heh! :) Don't I wish!

Tomorrow is setting up to be a busy day. I'm tagging along with my housemate, Neil, to his classes at the university - which they seem to call Varsity? Then, I think we're having dinner with his parents, who are my "official" host family. Then, there are plans to go bowling. I may or may not post my score. Don't get your hopes up.

Off to an interesting start...

Well, I'm finally here! After preparing and anticipating for 2 months or so, it's really happening. Crazy!

I have a week of free time before starting my student teaching - sometimes I forget I'm actually here for educational purposes. :) I haven't seen much of the city yet, but even if I had been driven all around the area, I wouldn't have noticed the sights. I was way too busy trying to adjust to 1) riding in the driver's seat as a passenger, and 2) going the wrong way on the road. At least I won't ever be the one driving down here. That, I'm sure, would turn disastrous real fast.

As of now, I've spent more time traveling to Port Elizabeth than actually being IN Port Elizabeth. I boarded a plane in Atlanta at 5:45am Eastern Time yesterday (Saturday) to catch a connecting flight in Washington DC. Side note: That was probably the best flight I've ever been on. Had the row to myself, saw the sun rise, no turbulence  Just great. From DC, I flew to New York City. Cut to me wandering aimlessly around one terminal in JFK because it is the most confusing airport I've ever been to. From there, I boarded a plane bound for Johannesburg, South Africa. All of this happened before noon. My flight from JFK took off at 11:15am Eastern Time on Saturday. I landed in Johannesburg 2:10am Eastern Time/8:10am South African Time on Sunday. That was a long flight.

This flight, that lasted for 14 hours and 35 minutes, would have been fine were it not for one factor: my personal TV was broken. Each seat came equipped with a small touch screen monitor, allowing passengers to choose what they wanted to watch (they could even listen to music). I would have been easily entertained if my monitor had actually been in working condition. But, of course, it was not. I could have watched multiple Matt Damon movies, silly childrens' movies, and EVEN BONES. But, nooooo! I had to be tortured by the girl in front of me who watched Bones and eventually leaned forward to block my view. Curses!

To top it all off, one of my suitcases went missing. I waited and waited and waited but all in vain. I reported it to the people at the baggage enquiries desk, wandered some more around the Johannesburg airport, then sat on the flight to Port Elizabeth worrying about how or when I would ever get my things back. My nail polish! My Jackie Kennedy brooch! My snuggie! Oh, and my asthma medicines, too.

When I get off the plane at Port Elizabeth and wait for my luggage... Lo and behold! My prized possessions had found their way to me after all! I don't know how that happened, but I'm not questioning it. I have my nail polish, my brooch, my medicine, and, most importantly, Napoleon the Snuggie.

Now, I'm all unpacked and ready to make a long, long list of the things I need to buy. One of my first and foremost questions about South Africa will finally be answered: "What's shopping like there?"