We haven’t commented on the weather because it would make you green with envy (and St. Patty’s Day has passed). It has been hot. On the coast the heat is usually moderated but the sun is still the Hot African Sun and if the wind dies down it becomes quite warm…above 90 degrees. Today it is quite lovely with a strong breeze and in the 70’s. Last evening there were two pods of porpoises floating across an artfully painted sunset outside our window. Also the sun glistened against the sails of good sized sailboats that come out for a sail each Wednesday evening.
At our service learning sites the students are settling in nicely. Lots of painting is being done at House of Resurrection. House staff is setting up housing with 6 foster moms and 6 children. Students are also helping the preschool teacher out with her rather large contingent. At Pendla School our students are teaching where they can. The early 2 grades don’t speak English. They are also patching walls and fixing windows. They hope to be working in the library and fix it up. Lastly, Missionvale Care Center, which has medical out reach, food distribution, clothing distribution and a school, has provided an opportunity for the students to get into the Missionvale Township, which interestingly is not listed on Google Maps. They have also worked in the clothing warehouse and the kitchen. And they go and play with the school children during recess at the school. It keeps all of them busy on Monday and Tuesday mornings.
We had a great time visiting Grahamstown and parts south. In Grahamstown we visited a African traditional musical instrument factory. The Hugh Tracey who started the factory was working at saving traditional music and started out recording and in order to support the effort. The man who told us the story, Christian, was knowledgeable in music, the ethnomusicology, the differences between Western and African music and how to play many of the instruments produced there, as well as some brain studies about children who play instruments. They make marimbas, and kalmias which are also call Mbira or “thumb piano”. They also make other instruments for school instruction. A fascinating place to be!
Then we headed south for a visit to Egazini Outreach Project which is an art and craft center run by women from the surrounding townships. Some of women sew, some paint pictures and many cut linoleum for making prints. We met several women there who showed us there very first painting that they had done…and they were beautiful! It was a great effort by those very strong women.
We found another group of strong women in a further southerly direction near the hamlet of Hamburg. Yes, it was founded by Germans although none live there now. We stopped at a small historical building which is now a school and used as an auditorium for events. Nearby the community has constructed a Xhosa rondavel which is a traditional African home made from mud and sticks and in the form of a circle. They displace some traditional works inside the rondavel and other traditions painted on the wall surrounding the building. They did a very attractive job.
We went into the auditorium carrying about 35 Djimbe drums with us that Bradley, our guide supplied us. First of all some girls of the village sang and danced for us. They were in native dress and some had their faces painted. The moms who were laying out food at the back of the room could hardly keep from dancing and singing with the kids. We had a traditional Xhosa meal: barbecued chicken, samp and beans, freshly baked bread and mashed pumpkin. The samp is a bit like hominy and mashed pumpkin is sweet and lovely.
After that with the help of a friend of Bradley’s we learned how to play the drum and how to do a Zulu dance. It was great fun. We came home tired and brim full of rhythm and culture! We will try to get the movie clip on an addition to this site this weekend … I hope.
N
No comments:
Post a Comment