So Much Peru

Teaching

Well, I guess I should begin with what has been demanding the majority of my attention and energy:  teaching.  I am officially halfway done with the teaching project as the program is only 6 weeks long and I have just concluded my third week.  Time flew by so quickly!  I have been working so hard to provide my class the best foundation in English they can possibly get.  As I speak Spanish, I was given a class of thirty filled with people who have a basic or below basic level of English.  My students are actually teachers.  The program is geared towards educators who seek to learn English to better their practice and to be able to share their ideas on an international scale.  I would say the age range of my class is from about 25-65.  It’s never too late to learn a new language! 

Initially, I thought I would want to teach alone.  I thrive as an individual and would not have to worry about the balance of leadership between a partner and myself.  Also, I would not get screwed over by being given all the work.  Sure I would be happy to do it all, but not while my “co-teacher” would be slacking off.  Anyway, each of us was given a partner to teach with, but there was a flaw in the way this was set up.  The coordinators thought it would be a good idea to pair up the people who know absolutely no Spanish with the people like me who can write, understand, and communicate in Spanish.  Well, this system is nice in theory as the person who doesn’t speak it can be translated by the speaker, and can begin to learn a bit of the language, but it reality, the Spanish speaker ends up doing all the work.  The basic classes cannot ask questions in English, so the Spanish speaker is left doing all the work.  Whenever the person who can’t speak Spanish tries to communicate with the students, they have to speak very slowly and use very simple words and it makes me think that the students feel as if they are children.  It just didn’t work.  So after the first 2 weeks with one partner, a few people were switched around and I was given a partner that had at least a little Spanish.  Still, I have to do the majority of the lecturing because explaining grammar points in English to them would be entirely useless.  But things like vocabulary, games, and review work for my partner so I do get some time to relax during class.  Both of my partners are awesome and are my good global gap friends and it has been a pleasure working with them both.

My students are stars.  They all want to learn, so it is never a struggle to get their attention.  They take copious notes and ask questions and are so keen to understand.  I try to keep the class fun and exciting, so I’ll crack jokes or dance around while lecturing or whatever else to keep them entertained and engaged.  So, if I do say so myself, the class really likes me!  Each day a different student will ask to take a picture with me, or ask for my facebook name, or will give me a snack!  One day early on in the program, I gave the class a worksheet with some songs in English written on the back and brought my ukulele.  I played the songs for them and we all sang together and they absolutely loved it.  Now it has become routine for me to play them a song at the end of class as our plenary review.  We even wrote a song together and sing that one everyday =)  Here are some pictures of my class and me.

If anybody is wondering about the structure of our class and the order in which we have been teaching, read this paragraph.  If not, go ahead and skip this stuff.  Each day we begin with Spanglish Ball, which is where we throw a ball to the students and when they catch it, they have to say a sentence in English that fits the criteria we give them and then they translate it to Spanish.  Next, we usually teach them new vocabulary and then play some games with the new words.  They always seem to enjoy competition.  Next we will move on to our main concept, which is always a verb tense.  Week one was present simple.  Week two was past simple.  And finally week 3 was present and past continuous.  Throughout the days we also add smaller grammar points to their repertoire such as this/that/these/those, possessive adjectives and pronouns, prepositions, plurals, articles, many/much/a lot of, and so much more.  We also review everyday.  We have covered a lot of material in the past three weeks, and hope that we give them the tools needed to retain all the information we have thrown at them.  We play games, do worksheets, and take tests to go over topics we have already gone over.  Like I said earlier, we always wrap up the day with some music.  Days when we run out of time, they still request to stay late and listen to some music.  It is so sweet.  An activity we do with the music that they tell me helps a lot is when I give them a schematic of a song with blanks in the lyrics and they have to fill them in as I sing.  They also enjoying singing along with me as it helps with their pronunciation.  Every time I introduce a new song, I translate the lyrics to Spanish so they can mark down any new vocabulary or take note of a new verb tense.  I want them to understand the meaning in all of the songs and see how the mess of words in a song can convey a beautiful message.  Oh!  And another thing!  Our classroom is plastered in labels!  From the whiteboard to the mountains outside our windows, we have tagged the classroom to pieces.  Also, every time we introduce new vocabulary, we put a poster up above the whiteboard with all of the new words on it.  Now that the third week is over, we have quite a few posters.  Some of the vocabulary subjects we have taught are places, prepositions, school supplies, parts of the body, illnesses, greetings, family, jobs, emotions, weather, food, drink, clothes, and more.  IT’S SO MUCH. I DON’T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT!  Like I said, my class is incredible.

Teaching has been an absolute joy.  It is so fulfilling to be able to see the progress of your students and know that they care about you.  I adore this project and appreciate the fact that I am appreciated.  When I am sick, my class brings me snacks, tells me to rest, and offers me their coats.  When I am bubbly and energetic, they laugh and support me.  When they ask me about my life back in California or the rest of my trip, I answer them honestly and they give me their attention and friendship.  I have such a wonderful bond with my students and I am so sad to think that in just 3 weeks I won’t be seeing them regularly.  Good times.  Good times.

 

Life at my House

My host family and I have gotten really close.  I realized Dede’s name is actually Derek with a very strong Peruvian accent, so that is hilarious.  He is hilarious in general.  He is obsessed with skeleton toys, so naturally when he had a plastic container shaped like a man, he filled it with water and apple slices and froze it.  The next day he took it from the fridge and began licking it like a popsicle.  I have nothing more to say about that except here is a picture of him beaming with pride holding the man. 

 

Luciana is very sweet, but keeps falling down and hurting herself.  She is a bit of a tomboy like I was.  Still, like me, she enjoys painting her nails, and I have even painted her nails for her. 

 

Nimia and Ayul are great parents.  They truly love their children and know when it’s best to discipline them or cuddle them.  They are a good team.  The house is usually busy as at any given moment they are hosting at least 3 foreigners.  Nimia has hired a helper named Vanessa to help around the house and with food.  She is super nice.  I live downstairs in a separate apartment with a Costa Rican who is my age called Mariana.  Upstairs is the family and a Brazilian woman called Maria.  Mariana and I come up for meals and to hang out with the kids whenever we want to.  We have keys, so the upstairs is always open for us which is nice.  Here are some photos of the upstairs apartment.

 

 

 

Mercado San Pedro

I have frequented El Mercado San Pedro (The Market Saint Peter) 3 times now for food and juice.  This market is indoors, up the street from the main square (Plaza de Armas).  There you can find souvenirs, clothes, jewelry, traditional Peruvian food, and traditional Peruvian ingredients.  I have had the same meal at the market each time I have gone there.  4 Soles ($1.33) for soup, lomo saltado (tenderloin), rice, salad, fries, and a drink.  It is very good considering how cheap it is.  Below are some pictures of the market.

 

Pisaq Ruins

I went to Pisaq with some Canadians and saw some pretty cool ruins.

 

Plaza de Armas

I often go to the main square, which is a 25 minute walk from my house to write songs and play music.  I don’t do it for money, I do it for myself and to meet new people.  Peruvians and tourists alike will come up to me for a listen and will make conversation.  It is very fun.  The plaza has many restaurants, bars, shops, travel agencies, and even a club.  There are two massive churches in the plaza as well as a fountain that sits in the middle.  Locals are always trying to sell you something but the municipal police shoos them away with their whistles and segways. 

 

Met some Chileans who had a guitar and played with them.

Avenida del Sol

The main street by my house that I take to get the plaza is called Avenida del Sol (Sun Avenue).  It has banks, shops, travel agencies, restaurants, supermarkets, and so much more.  There are some random ruins that sit alongside the road too (see picture below), which is rather cool.  There is also this funky map of the area that shows traditional Peruvian life in the bustling streets.  If you want directions you do not use this map.  Its sole purpose in my book is for a laugh or chortle. 

Hola Peru: Yo hablo su lengua

I made it to Peru after a short little break from travelling spent at home with my family.  It went by way too quickly due to college applications and the actual shortness of the break (It was less than 3 weeks).  Well, now I am semi-recuperated and completely ready for my next placement, which is a teaching project in Cusco, Peru in which I will be helping teachers learn stronger English so they can teach their students better.

 Located in the mountains, Cusco is at an elevation of around 3,400 meters or 11,200 feet, and altitude sickness is very real here.  When I first arrived my whole body ached, I had killer headaches and stomach aches, and was just so tired.  But most of this has worn off as I have been here a few days now.  Now all I feel is the drowsiness and sometimes a rogue stomach ache.  I do a lot of walking here, and I get tired a lot more easily.  I even get shortness of breath from walking up the 15 or so stairs in the apartment I live in.  It’s quite pathetic.  Some of my friends live near gyms, but I don’t have that luxury.  My apartment complex is surrounded by glass shops, a car dealership, and an inflatable water toy store.  Pretty useful for an American tourist, eh?  I don’t understand what the deal is with the glass shops.  There are like 4 competing Vidrierias all on the same block, just sitting there, waiting for business, which may or may not come due to the competition and excess of supply and lack of demand (yay, econ). 

Anyway, I live in a home with a family that also hosts a couple other volunteers/students.  There is the mother (Nimia), the father (Hayul), the little girl of 10 (Luciana), the little boy of 8 (Dede), a volunteer from Costa Rica who is 17 (Daisy), and a Brazilian girl learning Spanish who is 29 (Ana Paula).  And then there is me.  Being able to communicate in Spanish has been so helpful, but there have been some language barriers.  For the first few days I was here, only Nimia was at home, and she doesn’t speak English and speaks very quickly.  Sometimes I pretend like I understand when I don’t and hope what she said was not important.  Whoops.  But usually, I comprehend what is happening, and eventually, Hayul returned.  He has great English as he works in tourism.  This is also why he is not home frequently.  Daisy and Ana Paula have become fast friends of mine.  We communicate in English mostly because it is easier for Ana Paula to understand Daisy’s slower English instead of her incredibly fast Spanish.  I very much appreciate that.  The family is so kind.  Nimia is always saying “Con toda mi confianza” which means “with all my trust” that she will do anything to make me comfortable and happy.  Luciana and Dede have so much energy and always want to play.  I have painted Luciana’s nails, played soccer with Dede, and have taught them both how to do funky little feet dance moves.  Eventually I will teach them how to tap dance.  ;) 

The food is awesome.  Nimia is a great cook.  The meals always feel very authentic and of course are delicious.  Some of our meals have included a noodle soup with beef, chicken with rice, pasta with what I think was hot dog, and mini steaks with mashed potatoes and an apple salad.  TEA.  SO MUCH TEA.  I never drank tea, or anything hot for that matter, at home, but here tea is a necessity.  Not only are the Peruvians obsessed with the vast possibilities of flavors, but also, the heat of the drink helps with your digestion, which slows a lot in the high altitude.  I am not used to repeatedly burning my mouth on something I am supposed to be enjoying.  It will come though. 

 

 

It was a slow start with this home stay.  In my other experiences with a host family, all was laid out for me to understand and situate myself.  But here, not much was explained to me.  How to get clean water (because the tap water is no good) and how to work the shower were the two major issues.  But I figured it all out with time and patience.  Now I am comfortable and excited to spend the next couple of months here.

OMG AS I TYPE THIS LUCIANA IS SINGING LET IT GO IN SPANISH “LIBRE SOY, LIBRE SOY”

Anyway, my Volunteer Coordinator (Hugo) gave us a few tricks to survive in Cusco.  One of which is (as I mentioned before) to not drink the tap water.  The families boil their water to make it safe to drink (but gross stuff still floats in it and pools at the bottom so I don’t like to drink it; I buy my own bottled water).  Next is to never flush the toilet paper down the toilet as the pipes in Peru are very small and will immediately clog if you try to flush paper down.  I have yet to mess this one up.  But I’m sure there will be a day when I throw the paper into the bowl and I will have to retrieve it before flushing.  This, I dread.  The next trick is to be careful with the dogs roaming the streets.  There are a lot of them and although rabies is not common here, they can still hurt you and get you sick with a bite, or give you ticks or lice.  They all are awfully mangy but are pretty darn cute.  I do foster a slight fear of dogs, but the only one that has given me an issue so far was someone’s pet that lives in my apartment complex.  I was waiting to be let into my building, and this yappy little turd dog starts barking at me and following me and growling and basically just terrifying me.  But luckily I hid behind a pole and the dog gave up and then I was let inside the building.  It was really quite pathetic.  Anna versus small yappy dog.  Spoiler.  We both lose. 

 

 

So yeah, I think that’s all I have for you guys at the moment.  Sorry I don’t have any pictures yet, but next post will be filled with some of my home, my host family, and the area I live in.  I am alive and well.  And as always, thanks for reading!

Human Rights/Winter Break

Human Rights

THE FOLLOWING WAS WRITTEN ON NOVEMBER 22^nd.

I always feel so overwhelmed at the beginning of a new post.  I want to convey to you all of the wonderful things that have been happening here, but I worry my simple typing skills won’t be enough.  The conversion of real experiences to words on a screen is a daunting task.  But, hey. It’s worth an effort. 

So, I have spent the last 4 weeks at the Human Rights project here in Cape Town.  *Heavy breathing* There is so much to say!!!  Okay.  You can do this.  Deep breaths.  In and out.  Okay.  So the sixteen of us finished up at the building site on a Tuesday.  We had a little farewell party and gave food to the children and the workers at the community center.  It was sad bidding goodbye to Deen and the long-term building volunteers, but Deen assured us that it wouldn’t be goodbye forever.  He had spoken with the South Africa Projects Abroad main office and got permission for us to return to building for our final week in the country.  That was comforting.  So, at half past noon, we were off, onto the next chapter in South Africa. 

Another global gap added on to the program making us 17.  Our herd then headed to PAHRO (Projects Abroad Human Rights Office) for an induction on the Human Rights Project which we were going to begin work in the next day.

We were given an overwhelming amount of information.  Basically, the Human Rights Project is divided into two parts: Legal Services and Social Justice.  Legal Services is just as it sounds.  PAHRO provides pro-bono legal work for those in need.  We learned that the majority of the clients are refugees from Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, but there are also plenty of other types of cases including family and property law, theft, and murder.  Only the interns (Human Rights Office word for volunteers) who have had legal education in university are able to have cases.  I was not expecting to have my own cases, but I was hoping to be able to get involved in the legal services side of the project somehow.  The other part of the project is Social Justice, which entails visiting both women’s shelters and juvenile detention centers and running workshops on life skills and education of rights.  The majority of the work the global gaps were to do would be Social Justice.  Only the females can go to the women’s shelters (Sisters Inc. and St. Anne’s) while everyone can go to the juvenile detention centers (Vredelus, a center for girls, and Ottery and Bonnytoun which hold all boys). 

All 17 of us were placed into the project and were separated into 3 groups. Each group was given an initial assignment.  Now, only 4 global gappers remain in the project, including myself.  Over the first few days about half of us switched to projects more suitable for them.  From what I have gathered in asking those who switched projects why they quit PAHRO, the majority say because they had to work to find work.  I was completely alright with the fact that work wasn’t handed to us.  I understood that we were in a functioning office and that we were not the focus of anyone.  Everyone was busy and I did not expect to be babied.  So, I offered my services to the interns busy with cases, and devoted myself to the aid of others and to the initial assignments given out by Maria, the head of the project. 

My group’s initial assignment was to compile Amnesty International reports on refugees and immigration from Burundi, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  I decided to go the extra mile to guarantee the usefulness of the binder we were constructing.  We did this by writing summaries for each document so the reader would not have to rifle through dozens of documents to find the information they wanted.  They would only have to read the summaries and then they would know if the document following the summary would be useful to them.  We divided the reports by nation and then again by topic.  After about a week of working on this binder, I turned it in and was congratulated on the hard work.  My reward was more work.  And thus began me being the busiest thing that ever existed.

 

 

 

 

 THE FOLLOWING WAS JUST WRITTEN

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?  I apologize for my absence from blogging, but boy oh boy did I get busy.  The work in the Human Rights Office occupied long hours, and by the time I would get home from my hour long commute, I would be too tired to write.  I would just eat, shower, and sleep.  Occasionally I would rally and socialize with my fellow glappers, but even this became a rarity due to exhaustion.  I even managed to contract bronchitis and the flu at some point along the way.  But, I made it to the doctor and got some medicine, so I was fine after a week of pill-popping.  Anyway, in addition to work, I decided to apply to college again.  Yay me!  I decided 3 days before the November 30^th deadline to apply to UC Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara.  I quickly wrote the personal statement like a maniac and with the help of my Mom back at home, completed the rest of the application with a day to spare in case the system crashed.  I was also taking time to look into two universities in Cape Town, University of Cape Town and Stellenbosch University.  UCT was in the same area as my work, so I was able to visit the campus numerous times, but I never got the chance to visit Stellenbosch as it was a few trains away.  They are both good universities, but my Mom was concerned that I wouldn’t get a good enough education.  This led to me choosing to apply to 7 Common App schools, more than I had applied to in my senior year.  Now that I have been home for almost two weeks, you’d think I would be spending my time with friends and family, excitedly sharing my experiences with them, but alas, all I do is essays.  With the two Common App essays and 7 sets of supplements, the busy-ness has followed me back to Claremont. 

I leave for Peru on the 4^th of January, which is in 8 days.  I am very much looking forward to utilizing my Spanish and teaching teachers English.  I am also extremely excited for the host family situation.  In Ghana and South Africa, the whole group stayed with one very accommodating family, but in Peru we will be split into smaller pairs and trios.  This will create a more personal connection with the host family and give me a more in-depth exposure to the culture.  The food will also be spectacular. RICE AND BEANSSS.  ARROZ Y FRIJOLESSS.  It is strange thinking about leaving again, and this time for 4 months as opposed to the first leg’s 2.5 months.  At least this time around I can kind of know what to expect, and I know I can handle being abroad on my own.  I learned so much in the first two and a half months and am looking forward to what the rest of my gap year has to offer me.

Below is a list of all of the Common App schools I am applying to and their location.  I won’t be home until after I have to commit to a university, so I will not be able to visit the schools I get accepted to before I have to choose one.  That will be strange, but we shall see how many I actually get accepted to.  I am applying to some very competitive schools.

Columbia                                             New York, NY

Cornell                                                  Ithaca, NY

Dartmouth                                          Hanover, NH

Duke                                                     Durham, NC

Harvard                                                Boston, MA

Princeton                                            Princeton, NJ

Yale                                                      New Haven, CT

 

Wish me luck!

 

Next time you hear from me, I will be in Peru!  Thanks for reading!  Happy New Year!

Garden Route Tour

Garden Route Tour

This was the most eventful weekend of my entire life.  Prepare to be amazed. 

It all began with a 6 hour drive from Grassy Park to Sedgefield, a city in Western Cape.  The following events are not fabricated.  Everything that is documented on this post did occur, as is proven in the photographical exhibits attached under each event. 

1)      Big 5 Safari

After being cooped up in a stuffy bus for six hours, we had the privilege of stretching our legs outside in a nature reserve.  While signing papers, waiving our rights if anything were to happen to us on the safari, we perused the gift shop, went to the toilet, and applied an ample amount of sunscreen.  Then, we congregated outside of our two open top jeeps and were finally off.  The safari itself was wonderful.  Our tour guide was a savvy environmentalist and gave us plenty of fun facts.  We saw everything from rhinos, to hippos, to zebras, to kudus, to giraffes, and so much more.  The expansive land was filled with plant life and sprinkled with groups of animals feeding, grazing, pooping, relaxing.  We stayed on the dirt road, but still we were able to get very close to some of the animals.  The rhinos especially weren’t phased by our presence. They remained adjacent to the road even as we pulled up and parked right next to them.  We weren’t able to get this close to the lions, but still our encounter with the lions were wonderful.  The lions are fenced off from the rest of the reserve.  They are fed dead animals, and do not hunt even when faced with animals that would be their prey out in the wild.  We saw one male lion, as majestic as he could possibly be, and two lionesses, cleaning themselves and basking in the sunlight.  They were all absolutely beautiful and lethal, if they chose to charge our jeep.  Overall, the safari was super fun and informative, and I had a wonderful time.

 

 

2)      Lion Walk

After the safari, we had a lunch break, and then set off to a new adventure: a walk with lions.  Again, we signed our lives away on waivers that said that we recognized the danger involved in the activity in which we were about to partake.  We congregated after signing the forms and were given wooden staffs we had to hold firmly throughout our walk.  The lions had been trained to respect those who have sticks.  I don’t want to know how they learned to fear people with staffs.  I worry they were beaten.  ANYWAY, the lions were paraded around to various photo-ops by the trainers.  We trailed behind, gripping our staffs.  I had mixed feelings about the whole ordeal.  The lions were practically slaves.  Then again, are we protecting them from the challenges they would have to face in the wild?  Who are we to make that choice for them?  ANYWAY, the experience made me think a lot, which is good.  And now I have some nice pictures of me with lions.  Go cats.  Meow.

 

 

3)      The Market

The next morning, we went to a wonderful market in Sedgefield.  It was the perfect way to start the day.  The market was separated into two sections: the food area and the craft area.  First, I ventured into the food side to grab some breakfast.  After checking out the bounty of options, I settled on a waffle topped off with chocolatey goodness as well as strawberries and cream with a refreshing glass of orange juice.   I ate with some of my companions as we contemplated whether or not we would partake in the bungee jumping that would be happening in the afternoon.  It began to drizzle.  As an avid lover of rain, I thoroughly enjoyed the ambiance.  I was very content with the waffle and the weather.  Once I finished eating, I ventured over to the craft side where I made a variety of purchases of souvenirs.  I bought a leopard necklace from a lovely couple, some knick-knacks from a Kenyan nomad who informed me that he enjoys marijuana, and a wooden lion from a very savvy South African salesman.  The market was a great opportunity to meet merchants and taste some awesome food.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

4)      Elephant walk/ride

Next, we drove over to an elephant sanctuary where we were to walk with elephants, feed elephants, and finally ride elephants.  We hastily snatched some smelly communal ponchos as we were chilled to the bone in the damp weather, waiting for our guide to take us to our elephant pals. After having a mini fashion show, modelling our ponchos on an imaginary catwalk, we were greeted by our guide, a funny funny South African man.  He proceeded to play a prank on one of the glappers, saying her clothes were too neon for the elephants.  He was very convincing.  She was just about to head to the bus to change when he told us that he was lying.  Elephants can barely see color, so there is no way they would be angered by a neon jacket and some bright shoes.  We all laughed and were impressed by his acting skills. So we moved out into the sanctuary and thus began my torment.  The animals again were being paraded around, in an enclosure far too small for them.  They did not have the freedom to roam or feed whenever they may want to.  They worked long hours entertaining selfish and ignorant humans who want to say they encountered nature in its most primal form.  NO.  Still, I participated, like a coward.  We walked with the elephants, with them leading us, trunk in hand.  Then we watched them do what the trainers assured us were not tricks, but actions that the elephants would do in the wild.  There was kneeling and blowing and head shaking as we sat in audience formation, gawking at the poor gentle giants.  At least they were safe and fed snacks for their work.  To be fair to people in general, the elephants that were in the sanctuary were rescues, so they are better off in the sanctuary than they would be in their previous homes.  Next we fed them pumpkin and sweet potato bits, and finally we rode them around a track (3 people to one elephant; one trainer and 2 glappers).  Just like the excursion with the lions, I enjoyed the activity because it made me think and made a good story.

 

5)      Bungee Jump

What do I even say about this? 

Okay, Anna, calm down.  Let’s start at the beginning.

We departed the elephant sanctuary and set off for the highest bungee bridge in the world, towering at a resounding 216 meters.  The Bloukrans Bungee Bridge is a record setting adrenaline hotspot that sees thrill seekers each day.  On our way to the drop-off point, we actually drove across the bridge we were soon to be jumping off of.  That was a very exciting moment.  We got to the registration table where we waived our rights and had our jump number and weight scribbled onto our hands with marker.  Next, we got our harnesses on, and then we waited.  You don’t just line up on the bridge; it’s far more organized than that.  You receive a specific time in which you are supposed to meet at the top of the bridge.  When our time neared, we all congregated and made our way over to the bridge.  How many times have I said bridge?  As the jump actually got closer and closer, the more excited I became.  I wasn’t nervous at all.  The walk across the bridge was treacherous.  There is a pathway on the underside of the bridge made of a metal grate that you walk through in order to arrive at the plunge site.  It’s more of a cage than a pathway.  And since it is made of a metal grate, you can see right through the floor to the valley, a whopping 216 meters below.  Okay. I’m probably boring you with my meager effort to set the scene.  The air was tense yet freeing.  The view was stunning yet terrifying.  My friends were jittery yet pumped.  Let’s move to the actual plunge site (that’s a phrase I came up with myself, so don’t go thinking that “plunge site” is THE TERM for where you jump off a bridge; it’s not).  We were given a brief orientation on what you can and cannot do such as you can party like there is no tomorrow (because there might not be if you take the plunge and something erm goes wrong) and you cannot smoke.  Yay.  Rules.  Then it began.  One by one, my friends were strapped in, were lead to the edge of the bridge, and were brave enough to take the leap of faith.  Then they would be hoisted back up onto the platform we were on, and that’s when the screaming and celebration ensued.  The response from those who had just jumped was extremely reassuring to my already calm and confident outlook on the whole thing.  After cheering on quite a few of my friends, it was finally my turn.  My ankle thingies were Velcro-ed on and I was all hooked up.  I took one last second to show some love to my friend JC who was absolutely terrified of heights and wasn’t looking forward to facing her fears.  I grabbed her hand for a brief moment and then waddled up to the edge, not thinking about what I was about to do.  With my feet bound and my life on the line, the two workers began their countdown from 3, signaling it was just about time for me to jump.  And so I did.  Without thinking, I leapt out into the abyss, surrendering to gravity, Newton, and the world.  The fall was, how you say, not fun.  With bronchitis and the flu gripping my body, I almost blacked out.  But the rebound, the elastic motion, the bouncing until you settle, was spectacular.  You feel as if you’ve conquered the world.  The air whips past you and you are invincible.  I couldn’t help but yell out, cursing those who have wronged me, praising everyone else, loving this life.  And that was that.  A worker dangling from a line came down and hoisted me up.  I made small talk with him driven by pure euphoria.  Then, back on the bridge, I was greeted by my ecstatic and proud friends who huddled around me, asking me how it was and how I felt.  After everyone had jumped, we took the walk through the metal grate cage back to land, feeling like absolute champions.  I had a celebratory meal of chicken strips and fries, and thus was the end of my bungee adventure.

6)      Cango Caves

The next day, we were posed with a choice on what we wanted to do.  Option one was essentially a petting zoo with leopards and other “wild” animals and the other was the Cango Caves a UNESCO site with stunning natural rock formations.  There are plenty of reasons why I chose the caves over the petting zoo.  But, mainly it was because I had seen enough practically domesticated animals that should have been wild in the past few days, and, as an environmental science buff, caves are my ish, and I had never seen any of this magnitude before.  The majority of the glappers chose to go see the animals, but some of us did choose to go on what is called the “Adventure Tour” in the caves.  This means that after the standard tour, you are taken through 4 very cramped tunnels, climbs, whatever else, to reach a deeper point in the caves.  The tour guide was a fun little petite woman with a precious lisp.  She told us the story of the discovery of the caves in the 18^th century, and about the different types of formations found in the caves, and about concerts that were once held on the site (they were stopped shortly after people began abusing the privilege of being in the caves by vandalizing).   It was very informative and I loved hearing about how all of the natural beauty came to be.  Then it was time for the Adventure Tour.  We walked deeper and deeper into the caves guided by small lights lining the floor, then embarked on the coolest journey.  Jimmying through crevices, crawling under gigantic rocks, sliding down walls, the Adventure Tour was spectacular.  I felt like a real explorer, delving deeper into the stony mysteries that are the Cango Caves.  I bonked my head a couple of times, but the bumps, bruises, and scrapes were well worth it.  This was easily the highlight of my weekend—even better than bungee jumping.

Camera was dead.  I'm so sorry.

7)      Ostrich Farm

Finally!  This post is coming to a close.  This has taken me weeks to compile as I have become far busier since the switch of projects from building to human rights.  But alas, that sudden jump in busy-ness is for the next post.  Right now I need to focus on writing about the ostrich farm. So, my fellow cave explorers waited for the people who went to pet the animals for about an hour.  Although there were free refreshments at what was more like an ostrich country club than a farm, the wait in the lobby with all of the pretentious ostrich eaters did not give me the best first impression.  Often, first impressions are very telling of what is to come.  Once the rest of my group arrived, the tour began in a room filled with chairs set up in audience style.  A man came in and told us everything anybody could ever want to know about ostriches.  He even had visual aids like ostrich leather with the tiny pock marks for where the feathers poke out and an ostrich feather feather-duster.  So at this point, I was very content with the happenings of this tour. Next, we went into the incubation room where we were informed on the absolutely astounding strength of ostrich eggs (a decently sized human can stand on one without even cracking the shell) and on the incubation period of baby ostriches, which I have since forgotten.  Then we ventured out to see a miniature ostrich, which I fed.  Then we went over to a normal sized ostrich.  The tour guide made it spin around trying to get food, and showed off the flexibility of the neck (it can turn 360 degrees).  That particular ostrich can also give kisses.  You receive a kiss by putting some of the cylindrical food in between your lips, by making your presence known to the ostrich (ostriches are very dumb), and by waiting while the ostrich does the fastest lean-in you’ve ever seen.  When I went up for my kiss, the ostrich was so sloppy that my upper lip actually bled a little post-smooch.  Rookie mistake, ostrich, rookie mistake.  This next part is when it all went downhill.  It was time for a few “lucky” people to ride an ostrich.  I was expecting something actually humane, like, perhaps the ostriches wouldn’t mind a human on their rumps.  But that was not the case.  First of all, the way the ostrich was wrangled and taken to the mounting point was awful.  They used a stick with a metal loop at the end to capture the fleeing ostriches.  Their necks would be caught and they would lurch backwards.  It was terrible.  It only got worse from there.  The noises were heart-wrenching and the squirming was unforgettable.  They placed a bag on the head and led it over to the place where the human hops on.  It is not a pleasant stroll while on the back of an ostrich.  It is a frantic run, bucking, and twisting, trying to get the stupid human of its back.  I watched one ride, learned all this, and had to leave.  I left with my fellow animal lover, Mikaela.  We went to the gift shop and each bought a bracelet, symbolizing standing up for what you believe in.  Whenever I wear my bracelet, I think of those poor ostriches and how I was strong enough to leave the situation I was uncomfortable in despite whatever my peers thought.  And that was that.  Mik and I waited for a while for the others to finish watching the torture, and then we were on our way home.

 

 

 

W0Wow0WOW.  This post took me ages to complete.  I am sorry to those of you who have been waiting for an update on my life.  This weekend filled with adventures happens October 24-26, which is almost a month ago, soooooo whoops.  The posts will be far briefer from now on.  I just felt as if this one weekend needed to be in one ridiculously long post.  Coming up next, for those of you who are curious, will be some info on the new project I am in—Human Rights.  Expect that in the next couple of days.

 

I love you guys, and again thanks for reading!