One week down.

Its been over one week since I have started volunteering is South Africa & Im already sad to think I only have 4 in a half more weeks to go. It is so amazing here and the kids are amazing. It is defiantly such a different culture here, but all the kids are so full of passion and enthusiasm. At home kids take Physical Education for granted. You always have the kids who sit out and say no to everything. But here, we go to a class room to go get the kids and you literally can here them from the other side of the school. The kids don't even know you but they rush at you and hug you. The kids get 30-40 mins of Sports class A WEEK! The class means so much to them. With the younger kids they literally run and crawl across rooms full of desk to hug us and cheer.

We teach the kids on the "sports field" which is a slab of cement with enough room for two net ball courts. The classes we teach is from anything from 20 kids to 50 kids in a class. There is all so no one really having punishment or watching if kids leave class. I can have random kids running in and out of my class trying to steal the ball away from me and the other kids. Or they go up and start fights. And no I do not mean verbal, I see about 11 fights a day. The worst part only few teachers break them up. Boys will literally go up and punch girls in the face and girls will try and fight them back. I try and beak them up as soon as I see it, but barley any of the teachers do. It shows the different culture because it sounds sad but some of these kids knowing how to fight can save their life in certain situations that can happen. Its all very confusing Im still trying to work out what I should do about the whole thing.

Here kids don't get pushed up to the next grade, if they don't pass the test they do not go up. So we have kids who are 16 in grade 7 because they cant past the test to get to Secondary school. So you will have 11 year olds with 16 year olds in one class, and that's just havoc.

The language barrier is a problem sometimes. Depends on the kids, the attitudes and if the teacher is there. If the teacher is there the kids usually behave a lot better. But in a week and about 22 classes a week I have had 6 teachers actually come out. 3 participated. But the class is lucky if a teacher shows up at all. There are no substitutes here. Kids can be in school all day with no teacher and they can just wander around freely. The kids who don't have a teacher in the classroom usually are the ones who do not listen. But all the kids are so talented in so many ways, the boys are very big on soccer here & the girls love net ball.

Teaching is going okay, some days are rough some are easier but thats the same as at home. The kids are starting to remember my name, and i wish i could say the same but I cant pronounce any of their names. But I recognize a lot of the kids. Most the kids call me rhi-hanna. I kept trying to teach them but this way they remember my name. One of the girls who comes up to me every day to say hi gave me a card last week, in it asked " could you be my mother in law" most of the girls are shocked that I dont have any kids yet and that I am not married. I laughed at first, but then i realized they were serious and it shocked me that they thought that.

Right now we are teaching soccer, last week was skills this week its games. The games have been going so well so far. We figured out the best way to get the kids listening and warmed up and ready to play in a shorter amount of time so far. Which was my main concern, because last week the kids had about minutes at each station so that means 20 minutes was getting everyone to listen and warm up.

But that is all for now, I will try and start writing post every few days now. Ill update how my last weekend went tomorrow and Ill put some pictures soon.

Love & Rocket Ships

Cape Town

I am now in cape town and the time change is really throwing me off. 2 pm at home at 11 pm here! The second flight was okay, I was asleep for most of it, but that was after being up for almost 20 hours straight.

But i am here and it is surreal. I'm trying to decide if I am hungry or not right now. Don't think i should eat this late at night but its really lunch time for me haha.

Ill be posting as much as I can but after today I have no clue how often I will be on the Internet.

Love & Rocket ships
Rhiannon

Flight #1

Landed in Amsterdam and I must say there are many good looking people her! But its 8:30 their time, now it is midnight our time and I have not gotten any sleep on the last flight. On top of that the tv’s were not working in the first flight that was 9 hours long. I finally got it working with the last 3.5 hours left. Had a nice guy sitting beside me though and we watched a movie on his laptop. Im more calmed down now. I knew the leaving would be harder then actually being away. The sunlight is tricking my body, I watched the sun rise over Amsterdam, it was beautiful!  But now my body see’s the sun and it does not feel tired. Which is going to mess me up, as we all know I love and need my sleep. Iv been up for 16 hours now and my body is starting to feel bad. The worst part is my ears wont pop! To top that off as well, I cant hear and the security guy was speaking dutch to me and I did not even realize it till he was like you don’t understand me do you.

There no internet here, or at least I cant understand the language at all to click on the right wifii. So I hope my parents are not freaking out.

Im looking forward to getting to Cape town, Im staying at a SICK hotel! Ill take pictures and post them when I can. But this 11.5 hour flight right after a 9 hour flight kinda suck a lot! I got to walk almost the whole Amsterdam airport though. Of course the gate I arrived at was at the other side of the air port then the gate I needed to get to.

Its different here, the security is at each gate, its cool in the way I could hang out with family till I walk to board but sucks because I am alone and the drinks I got at Seattle past security I had to finish or throw out.

There is a bunch of younger people around me, a lot looking my age, kinda makes me wonder if any of them are going to work with gvi too.

Freaking Out!!

So yesterday was great, had a good safe trip , stayed in Gig Harbor in a great little inn. Had a great dinner and spent some great time with Dad & Lori.

Last night  I had a great sleep, woke up this morning and got my things ready and we were out the door. Once we started driving to Sea Tac my body just froze. I started to freak out. It feels like my heart is pounding and I cant take any deep breaths. We got to the air port and it took forever to find a packing spot, but we got in to the air port and I started freaking out even more. When I started walking towards security, I got a picture taken with my dad hugged my dad and Lori good bye and put my back pack on started walking. I turned around and i realized how badly I was freaking out because I started to cry.

I still feel like crying I cant stop freaking out, and the worst part is I don't know why I am freaking out. Might have to do with the 22 hour flight.

I never thought this day would really come, I have been talking about it non stop since getting accepted to do it. But the day is here and all I am wondering is am i ready? 21 years old you think I would be dying to leave the house see the world, but honestly I did not really eve see myself traveling alone. But here I am, 30 minutes away from boarding  alone and trying to calm down.

I am so excited to be apart of what I am doing but I already miss my family so much.

But here I go.

Love & Rocket ships
Rhiannon

All my bags are packed, guess Im ready to go.

It all was going by so slow to begin with... all the sudden tomorrow I go to Seattle and the next day I fly out. My bags are all packed, its almost time to go & I all most feel numb. I don't feel over excited I don't feel nervous. Its all most like I could just sit and stare into space and just have everything blank and that's how I feel.

Most of my good byes are in order, well my see you soon's. So that makes me feel better. Tomorrow will be a hard one saying good bye to one half of my family & friday wil be another hard goodbye. But it will be worth it.

I am sorry for the blah blog but thought I would write it so we can all see the full growth of this experience of mine.

Love & Rocket ships
Rhiannon

Five Days

Its five days before I leave for South Africa, & I am too the point where I am not sleeping & when I do I wake up thinking of the things I need to do before I get there. I'm freaking out because I never really thought I would do something like this. Never left my family like this before, I think its now at the point that I am more afraid to leave then for me to be there.  I will be 9 hours ahead and half the world away, so it will be weird not to have to chance to pick up the phone and call my parents, grandparents, or my siblings. I know in the past I have felt like it was just me, but its never been. Now its really just me, and yes it freaking me out. Writing this it makes me sound all most needy, but my family is my everything. This experience has brought me so much closer to many family members who I have not been close to in a long time it feels like.

I guess all so it makes me think of my Grandma O... and how happy and excited she would be for me. I'm sad that she is not here to experience all this with me, but I know she is with me I always carry her in my heart.

I know once I get to Gordon's Bay it will be a culture shock for me. I have two homes here, I have been very fortunate in my life. It will be weird to have to worry about what I wear, and worrying about my safety and having a huge language barrier. There is so much that I am nervous for but so excited at the same time.

As you can see all of these reasons is why I can not sleep. Oh and on top of that packing! I always over pack! Now I have to actually focus on what I am packing.

I am so excited and so nervous, but now 5 days away.. Cant turn back now, wouldn't turn back now

Love & Rocket Ships
Rhiannon

One month

This blog is for my family, friends and school to keep up with my trip to South Africa.

I am so excited that it is one month & 2 days till I am leaving to South Africa. I am starting this blog because it will be hard to keep in contact while I am down there so this blog is to keep everyone up to date on my trip. I will be writing almost everyday but I do not know how often I will be able to post a new blog.

First blog is not to exciting but I am just setting it up for the trip.

Mad love,
Rhiannon