Survey Says . . .

Monday,Tuesday and today were spent making sure that I got ample surveys filled out as well as set up some interviews with the student participants.

On Monday morning at 8 (after that ever so crazy weekend), I went into Marilette's class of first-year students to do the survey.  Marilette was thankful because it gave her time to put things together before beginning class. There were more students in the class on Monday then the last time I was there (so I had to pass out more consent forms).  In total 98 students agreed to do the survey but only 85 were in class on Monday to complete it.  It took about 20 minutes total to get all the surveys handed out and explain to the students what they needed to do.  The survey consists of 10 short answer questions (one word answers or a sentence of two).  I forgot that some of the terminology might not be familiar so I needed to explain some words and their meaning as well as answer some questions. Also, I made sure to tell the students that complete sentences were not necessary and that spelling was not important at all. However, many of them were worried about how they sound, write or spell in English making them very self-conscious when it comes to their speaking and writing.  Even though the survey was anonymous numerous students were still worried.

I looked over the surveys once I got back to my office and some of the answers to the questions were interesting, boring, and some (like all good students) did not read the questions at all.  For example, a couple students wrote that they don't like to read (this will be a problem when they want to improve their reading :-)) and other wrote that they do not plan on staying in South Africa they want to move abroad. It is a good mixture of students in the class (White, Coloured, Black, Asian, Indian) and it is the most diverse of all the years because this is one of the classes that weens out the students for next year.  I found some of the answers revealing, honest, and interesting.

I was supposed to survey the 3rd year students (Maryna's class) at 9 during their double period (they are working on a novel).  But instead, I ended up observing the class which was very interesting and telling of how some of the students understand culture as well as education.  In class they discussed the current state of violence and some educational issues in South Africa and how some of them think things will not change and others will.   It was difficult to sit there and say nothing but at the same time it gave me time to really be objective and write down the actual happenings rather than my opinions. I am headed back to the class on Monday when they have have time to do the surveys.

On Tuesday I went into the second-year class and had them complete the surveys.  The class had grown in size so a total of 58 students agreed to be surveyed but only 53 were in class to actually complete it.  Mandie was late to class so I got to be in charge for 20 minutes or so.  The students all have their phones outs (some were googling the books they like to find the authors, looking up words or just texting), so the surveys took them a bit longer than the first-years which is what I expected (also because they have more to say about multicultural literature after 1 1/2 years at NWU).  Once again, some of the terminology I had used needed to be explained and I will be more explicit when I go into the 3rd-years on Monday.  One girl wanted to know what she should write for race (it is a fill in answer) because she is Indian but that is not always what is on a standardized form . . . I told her to put what she identifies as personally.  Another student was looking at the dictionary because he wanted to make sure he spelled Caucasian right.  Another student told me she could not respond to the question of where you want to end up teaching (i.e. country, city, rural) because  it would be up to g-ed (Potch is very conservative and some people are very religious so I was not surprised to hear this); however, she is also the one who wrote that Eat, Pray, Love was one of her favorite books.   Again I looked at some of the surveys when I  was back in my office and there were some very interesting answers, which leaves me intrigued and looking forward to interviewing the students.

Throughout the week, I sent out a couple emails asking for interviews (for the 1st and 2nd years) and a few have responded (all female except for one . . . but I was told that the females are a bit more willing to talk then males).  Hopefully, I can get more to participate but I just have to wait and see.  Two of the first-year interviews happened today and I think they both went well.   But since the two girls are first-years they do not have a vast knowledge of multicultural lit and education (they are limited to what they had in high school and during the first semester).  I think these students were good to begin with and I am curious to see how all the others go next week.  I am still a novice at qualitative research so I was probably as nervous as the brave students were today but the more I do the more comfortable I think I will become (or at least I hope).

English Camp

This past weekend I headed up to a camp/farm about 45 minutes northwest of Potchefstroom (in the middle of nowhere) for the 3rd-Year English for Education camp.  The instructors do this for each year (1-4), at different points throughout the year (they were up there in April with the 2nd years), and the purpose is to get do extra literature work that cannot be done throughout the semester.   This past weekend  there was a total of 37 students,  five lecturers and two tag extras (me and another guy named Scott who works with ESL).   The lecturers actually got through about two weeks of work this past weekend with the workshops that were planned.   It was a jammed packed weekend filled with numerous lectures, endless presentations, bonding activities, readings, and literary criticism.

One of the reasons they have this weekend is because since the English for Education department includes literature NWU is not convinced that the students get enough literature and theory,  so this weekend camp is to justify that they are learning more literature, criticism, and working in English as a medium.  The instructors argue back at NWU that since the students are teaching English (which includes, grammar, writing, instruction, and a little literature) that they do not have to be experts at British literature because they need to know how to teach as well.   Throughout the program the students read a fair amount of literature (about 10 novels, various, short stories, etc) and a majority of them will not get to teach it once they enter the school.  It is also important to remember that for most of these students, English is their 2nd language and their first is Afrikaans so to read this much literature in their 2nd language is impressive (I think).

We left on Friday around 3:00 and arrived at the camp by 4:00.  I drove up with Maryna who I had not gotten a chance to really speak to one on one yet.  We chatted the whole ride up.  She is easy to get along with, talk to and is very sweet.  Anyway, we arrived at the same time as the other instructors as well as the students (since many of them followed us) and we unpacked everything into our cabin (see pic).  Our cabin was a bit away from where the students were staying so there was privacy.  Since there were 7 adults we slept in three rooms (see pic) (5 females in one, one female- she snores really badly in another, and one male room) but the cabin was huge and had 7 rooms with at least 3-5 bunk beds per room.  It was not the best cabin I have ever slept in but it was perfect for the weekend (plenty of showers with hot water, and a couple of bathrooms).   I brought my sleeping bag, a down blanket and as many layers as possible in order to avoid being freezing throughout the day as well as through the night.

All the sessions were held in a rondavel (yes, that's right another hut, see pic) but this one had electricity, tables, a projector, and a massive cross (did I mention it was a church camp).  Around 4:30 everyone filed into the hut and we started the first workshop.  We had two workshops on Friday (one included literature periods- honestly, very boring).  The second class took place after dinner.  We finished up around 10:30 and everyone headed to bed because you could tell how exhausted everyone was.

One Saturday we had four sessions.  They were broken up from 9-11, with a cocoa and marshmallow break from 11-11:30.  This lasted a bit longer but it was because there was a small zip line (Land Fufi in Afrikaans) on the premise so all the students, instructors, and myself decided this was the time to try it out and see how it went.  Even though the base of this was not more than 5meters off the ground, I was petrified but did it anyway. Once I jumped off I was no longer scared.  However, I did not go back up again!  Some students made friends with one of hte pigs that roamed the camp grounds (see pic).  Then another session till 1:30 and then lunch at 2.  Two of the instructors are very into wine, so one of them had a chilled bottle of Chardonnay for the instructors to drink for lunch.  My type of people!  The 3rd session of the day was spent playing English board games so that students could work on speaking English. My group played Cranium as well as Balderdash.

The students then had an hour break while we set up the next activity- a wine tasting.  The students had no idea about it except that they were asked to bring one formal accessory (some girls brought jewelry, two guys wore ties, one guy had a bow tie, etc).  They all entered into the room after we had set it up with white tablecloths, spit canisters, wine glasses and a ton of wine (Mandie ordered way too much and she went home with at least a case and a half unopened).  Obviously, this was my favorite part of the weekend because Mandie and Maryna (see pic) know volumes about wine so they picked some good ones for us to try.  We tried two white, two reds (both Pinotages my favorite), and a dessert wine.  Since you can drink in ZA  at 18, it was no big deal to drink with the students (since at home this would never happen).  Most of the students, liked the wine enough but some were not a fan (the put it in the bucket).  I on the other hand was in heaven and plan on taking at least two of those bottles back with me!  But it was not all about wine, the purpose was to show students that everyone has different taste's and perspectives and that can be applied to wine as well as poetry.  It was a clever analogy and since I do not enjoy poetry most of the time, this was a great excuse to try some new wines.   After dinner, we had a short session and then around 9 everyone dispersed.  I chose to sit around the fire the students had started with some of the students, Louise (one of the instructors) and Scott.  It was a clear night with a very bright full moon that allowed you to see the mountains and the surrounding area despite it being dark.  It was a cold night but the fire was really delightful so I  ended up staying out till much later than I had planned.

Sunday, everyone (and I mean everyone) was exhausted so we started at 8:30 ended at 10 and was headed home by 10:30.  We took a group picture and it was nice that they included me (lower left).   Overall, I am glad I was invited and that I ended up going.  It was a totally different experience and I think a very insightful one for me.  I give the lecturers credit for doing this four times a year because I am not sure I would be able to (I didn't even like away swim meets as a coach)!  I saw all the lecturers today and it was a rough Monday for everybody.

This week I am attempting to get all my surveys filled out as well as set-up a couple interviews before heading to Gaborone, Botswana for the weekend.

Let The Research Begin . . .

Back Again . . . 

Monday was the start of school, and NWU campus quadrupled in size.  There were students everywhere on campus.  I finally got to see what it was like with students here.  I took some pictures because it started to look like a college campus (a much smaller one than UMD) with all the students roaming around and populating the buildings, the stores, and restaurants on and near campus. Many of the first-year students belong to a Hostel (dorm) and they wear the jackets (we just got t-shirts) that they get during initiation throughout the year (see three girls pics).    School is back in session in Potchefstroom!

Just imagine . . .
The classroom where all the English for Education classes takes place is quite large (in comparison to the rooms where I teach my classes) with 12 tables set up with 8 chairs at each table.  The classroom is shaped like a rectangle so it is long and narrow.  It is one of the warmest rooms I have been in because there is carpeting and the heaters are constantly on high.  At the front of the room is a projector, computer, desk, and a chair. The projector screen is huge since the classroom extends so far back.  The room is equipped with a microphone for the instructor so the he or she can be heard in the back of the room, and each table has microphones so all students can be privy to what each one says or answers (no need to scream).  Honestly, we complain in 463 about 30 students, I can't imagine having 50 (third-year) let alone 120 (first-year)!

As for the research . . .

 On Monday, I met with Maryna (pronounce ma-ray-na) who is teaching ENGE 321, which is a third-year class.  There is about 50-60 students normally in the class.  But because some students did not do well the semester before they are allowed to sit for their exams (in any of their classes) again on the first day of school to try to improve their original grade.  This is one of the ways that students are weened out of the program.  Therefore, there were only 30 students in the class that Maryna was teaching.  Anyway, she gave me the first 15 minutes to explain my research, why I was there, who I was, and what I was asking.  Honestly, I was a bit nervous but students appeared to be receptive.  I passed out the consent forms and went over them with the students.  I told them where to initial and sign as well as the add their email/phone number so I could get in contact with them if they had opted to be part of the interview.  I forgot that even though I was in an English for Education class, English is the second language for a majority of the students, so on the consent form it says, "Subject Name," and many of the students thought that meant the subject that they were in.  I totally had forgotten that it might be taken out of context and a couple had to cross that out and write their names. In the end, 30 third-year students agreed to take part in the survey and 6 of those agreed to do the interview.  The third-year students are not as diverse (from what I saw, only three boys,one Tswana girl, and the rest White Afrikaans girls) but I think that will prove interesting, in the end.

On Tuesday, I walked into Mariletta's (pronounced Mary-Letta) class of first-year students, ENGE 122.  The first-year students are the largest group because this is before they are weened out of the program due to grades and poor performance on exams.  All but two of the tables were filled with students.  Mariletta teaches a linguistics class but uses The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy as a way to show linguistics in literature (very different).  I have not see what she does yet in class but I am going to observe a few of her classes because I am very interested.  Anyway, she had to do some housekeeping at the start of class and then it was my turn.  I actually had to use the microphone (which is weird because I am so loud anyway) in the classroom because the students in the back could not hear me without it.  This time I went through the consent form in more detail and made sure to be more explicit.  Yet, like all students there were some that listened and some that did not (that crosses cultural and linguistic boundaries it appears).  I got some consent forms without email addresses and a few just filled in their first name where it says "Subject Name."  After everyone had signed the forms, I had 86 students that class agreed to do the survey and 20 of that 86 who were willing to be interviewed.  I won't be interviewing them all but will ask the teacher to suggest a few that she thinks would be best.

Today I went into Mandie's class, ENGE 221, which is all 2nd-year students and did the same talk again.  Mandie had mentioned to me that the 2nd-year students were the most diverse because there were Tswana speaking students as well as Muslim students in the class (they make up a 1/3 of the class).  There was also supposed to be up to 60 students in that class but because of failure rates the numbers might have dropped.   I thought I was more explicit and clear this time (3rd times a charm right?) but I still had some students who didn't write out their full or name or leave contact information.  Needless to say, 38 students agreed to take part in the survey and of those 11 agreed to interviews.

Next Week . . . 
My goal next week is to go back into all those classes and do the surveys as well as observe the professors.  After the surveys have been completed, I will set-up interview times for the students and begin those!

As For The Weekend . . .
I am headed to a weekend Camp for the 3rd-years in the English for Education Program.  The instructors and professors (4 total) take the students away for the weekend (leaving Friday afternoon- returning early afternoon Sunday) to do some bonding within the student group but also to do some extra classroom lessons that they can not get to throughout the semester (i.e. some poetry, intro to a novel, strategies, etc).   I have to admit this would never be done at home (and honestly not sure if I would want to do it) but I am curious to see how it goes.  I was invited and as I said before, since I am here to learn and be a part of things, I said yes, having no idea what I was getting into.  From what I understand, we are staying in cabins and it is very, very cold so I have to dress warm and be prepared! I will report more on Monday!

Two New Roommates and a Potjie

On Friday afternoon, when I came home from work, I heard some voices and movement upstairs.  I assumed it was my housemate, Freida, and her friend who had been on holiday and that they had decided to come  back early.  Well, I was very wrong, instead of my housemate and her best friend, I was greeted by two young guys from Finland.  Earlier in the week, Freida, had gone into the International Office and asked if we were getting anymore housematess.  The response was no, it will only be the the three of us in the house until maybe September.  Obviously, they were mistaken (or one side did not know about the other, as is the case at Universities), so you can imagine my surprise to see two guys walking out of the rooms across the hall from me!  Pekka and Andre, the new housmates, are here for three months studying Environmental Management.  Both really nice guys who are just very interested in learning about Potchefstroom and South Africa as well as having a real college experience. Where they attend school, there is no campus or organized social life (which, is what NWU prides themselves on to make sure that their students are engaged and part of the university--retention).  They both appear to be really nice and easy to get along with and I was shocked and happy to hear that they were complaining about the cold (more than me) and they are used to way worse weather than me!

On Saturday night,  Noelia and I went to a potjie at Sari's house.  A potjie is directly translated as "pot food" or food that is prepared in a pot (http://funkymunky.co.za/potjiekos.html).   You place it over a wood fire and slow cook the ingredients inside (see pics).  Just like the braai, a potjie is an event and takes a couple hours so you settle in front of the fire, enjoy some wine, and wait for your food to cook.  There are several different size pot's that can be used, but because there was just four of us last night Sari used the pot 3 that serves 6-8 people (but there is one that serves up to 20.Sari began by placing the chicken in the pot first because it would take the longest to cook.  After, about an hour she added the potatoes, and an hour later she added the vegetables (one of which is a flower that you can eat called, see picture).  The slow cooking process took about four hours ( we got there at 5:15) so we snacked on nuts and chips, talked, and drank until the food was ready.  I will admit waiting that long for your food makes you even more excited to eat (as well as hungrier and colder) so I was thrilled when it was ready.  The food was delicious and sitting by the fire eating, created a camping atmosphere (which is good enough for me).  We returned home around 11, with tons of leftovers and some boerewurst (kudu meat in a sausage style) that Sari told us we had to try.  

Sunday, we were supposed to have the power turned off  from 6 am to 6 pm (the entire town got a notice that said that they had to turn the power off because they needed to fix something), so I was worried about not getting work done, being freezing, and eating.  However, most of the restaurants (as well as the mall) have generators so eating would not have been an issue.  But much to our surprise, we woke up to find that we had power and we didn't lose it throughout the entire day!  From what I understand, the grid the house is on (not the campus) always has to have power (as most of you know this is a first because I never had the luxury during hurricanes . . . I always lost power) so I was very appreciative of where we live. Yet, I did take advantage and met my friend Shan for lunch at a local restaurant called Beef Boys, whose speciality is meat (shocker) and since it is cheaper to go out to eat then to buy food and make it yourself, I thought I might enjoy.  The food was good and as for my weekend, no complaints!

My First South African Braai

Last night I was invited to a Braai (a traditional South African bbq) at my friend Shan's boyfriend's (Stefan) brothers house.   Shan, a fellow graduate student, has become such a good friend and has included me in so much. In the simplest terms, a braai is a traditional South African bbq.  However, if you are a braai master you don't just have a grill out back you have a custom made braai.  For example, last night, in a corner of the backyard the couple had built a wall, that had the braai (sort of looked like a fireplace but it opened up like an oven), the entire area was covered and they had seating so you could hang out with the person braaing.  Wood is traditionally used for a braai (last night they used charcoal) and most meats (steak, chicken, lamb, pork, game) are part of the braai.  Here is a bit more info on the braai (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braai).

Anyway, the brothers alternate who has the braai at their house every Thursday night.  Family is always there as well as an assortment of close friends.  Last night they had 18.  A braai is not a quick evening, we arrived at 7:30 didn't eat till 10 and left around 11, which was early.  Drinks were poured as soon as you arrived (and continuously throughout the night, you weren't allowed to have an empty glass), Jaegermeister shots were handed out three times throughout the evening, and there were chips out for everyone to snack on.  While the guys handled the braai the ladies were inside making the salad, the bake potatoes, the veggies, and bread.  Shan bought extra vegetables for me to eat because she was worried there might not be enough (so nice).  Last night, lamb and chicken was on the menu and they don't put sauces on the meat they instead use different spice combinations (there is such thing as a braai spice mix). When the meat had cooked and the accompaniments were ready it was placed on the table and literally everyone swarmed to the food.  Before I knew it everyone was eating and the food was pretty much gone!  I will say it was delicious and a totally different experience then an American bbq.

I had a great time and everyone was so welcoming and gracious.  Since everyone last night, besides me, speaks Afrikaans they were good about translating as well as speaking in English (which they don't often do).  I was so full of food and wine at the end of the night that as soon as I got home I headed to bed.  Last time I was in South Africa, I didn't get to go to a traditional braai so this was a new experience.  I am not sure I could do that every Thursday but there is no doubt it would be entertaining!  

I am headed to potjie on Saturday night.  More details to follow.

Leading Up To Research

Monday, was all the professors first day back from break or the very extended holiday.  The campus has been busier in the last three days than it has in the last three weeks.  Yesterday, I had a meeting with Professor K, who heads up the English for Education program.  Over the past 6 months, I had emailed back and forth with her but had not up until yesterday met her in person.  She was just as lovely in person as she was over email.

A little background on the Baccalaureus Educationis (BEd) in English for Education and the program.  The English education department is small with only three professors and two lecturers (all women).  They are in charge of over 300 students who are part of the program.  Recently, they have changed the program to include an integrated model of English and education.  What that means is that these students are taught novels as part of their education classes and there are no outside or extra English classes that students attend.  One of the reasons for this, is that at NWU the medium of instruction is Afrikaans.  That means that almost all classes are taught in Afrikaans so there are no English literature classes to take.  Therefore, since these students will be English teachers their classes are not only taught in English but are taught cooperatively with the Education department.  I have my opinions on this but don't want to make any assumptions or judgements until I am fully aware of the program.

My meeting with Professor K went well.  I explained what my goals were and why I was interested in pre-service teachers and their professors/instructors. She sent me a schedule of classes for next week and told me to choose the ones I want to go into but she also suggested the ones that she thought best because the students in them have already have some exposure to literature..  She suggested (as others had as well) that I get a couple of students from each phase (there are three, Foundation, Intermediate & Senior) and interview them so I can sort of have an overview of the program.  In addition, she also offered me the chance to interview and survey the entire English for Education department as well. Interesting, but not surprising, Professor K mentioned that most of the 3rd phase of students are pretty homogeneous (white, Afrikaans, female) because of where we are situated in the country as well as NWU (mostly Afrikaans speaking); however, she said in the 2nd phase is not as homogenous because there are several Muslim and black students (mostly female in both cases), which might make for some interesting conversations.

There is an English meeting on Thursday about the semester but Professor K said she would make sure to set it all up for me.  So, there is a chance that by early next week I will be in the classrooms speaking to students about my research and getting consent forms from them as well as the professors and instructors (fingers crossed).  Nonetheless, I am both nervous and excited about starting my research next week.  As is the case most of the time, I am nervous that my research won't show or offer any new or interesting material for education research.  However, I think at the same time this makes for some interesting research as well.  Also, since I am not in my environment, I want to make sure I follow the correct protocol and don't make anyone feel uncomfortable.  Lastly, since I am not using my students (and don't have any relationship with them) I am unsure of how the interviews will go.  But I guess you can say this is all part of the research experience!



Interesting fact: One of the 1st semester Intermediate phase courses has a 50% fail rate.  It is on of the hardest classes because of the readings (literature mostly) as well as the workload.  I was so shocked because I am pretty sure there are no classes like that in a majority of the undergraduate education programs in the United States.  Professor K told me they begin Foundation phase with 100 students and by the time they get through the above class they are down to 50-60.  However,  some of the students choose to retake the exam to see if they pass and that brings the numbers back up a bit (if they pass).  I swear if we has something like that in undergraduate education, there would be numerous students who would chose not to be a teacher!

Cape Town

This past weekend I spent in Cape Town (2 hour flight from Jo'burg) visiting my friends Jackie and Elan (who moved almost three months ago from DC).    I know what you might be thinking, isn't she there for research?  The answer is "yes" but because of the World Cup all the universities as well as the public and private schools closed for 6 weeks rather than the normal 4.  When I originally made my ticket I thought I would be here just as school began but alas I got here right when the entire university was shutting down.  Hence, I decided to take one last trip before I began my research next week.

I caught a late flight out of Jo'burg on Thursday night and arrived in Cape Town around 11pm.  I had planned on making an earlier flight but the student that drove me and another girl to the airport got into a car accident on the way, so there was no way to make the later flight.  The accident was not too bad but two guys on a motorbike were trying to cut us off at a turn signal and the driver didn't realize they were on his left side so we ended up colliding.  I was glad everyone was okay and nothing was serious but even more thankful that I was not driving.

When I was here three years ago, I spent a ton of time (10 days) in and around Cape Town.  So this time I was free to spend time with Jackie and Elan visiting and there was no need to do a ton of sightseeing (which I liked but might have disappointed Elan a bit).  Anyway, I arrived in Cape Town and was greeted by Jackie and Elan.  It was great to see them both. Elan drove us back to his parents house in Hout Bay, which is about 30 minutes outside of the city.  The house is situated in the mountains and the scenery surrounding the house is beautiful.  The road to Hout Bay is very windy and is not the best for someone with a tendency to car sickness but it is a gorgeous drive nonetheless.

Since I was in Cape Town for a couple days the best thing I think of is to give the major happenings that went on while I was there.
Friday:  Jackie and I roamed around Greenmarket Square (the site of a ton of small stalls with cheap paintings, jewelry, t-shirts, or anything African you might want). Lunch was at Eastern Bazaar, which is a restaurant that looks like an alley (see pictures) but has the best Indian food.  One of the best parts about the restaurant (besides the food) was that there were so many different people (race, nationality, etc.) mingling and speaking.  The day ended with Shabbat dinner and an introduction into Elan's extended family.

Saturday:  The morning was easy  with a couple rounds of Scrabble where Elan won them all (he is just that good).  I joined Elan's parents for Fan Walk which leads from the center of Cape Town (the City Bowl) to the stadium.  Everyone begins at Fan Fest, which is an area with a ton of vendors and a massive (and I mean massive) big screen TV for those who don't have tickets to watch, and continues along the street ( that has been closed off) to Greenpoint (aka Cape Town) stadium.  The walk is packed with people, small vendor huts and musicians.  You could feel the excitement and anticipation for the Germany/Argentina game (see pictures)! The day ended with dinner in Sea Point with Elan's friend, his wife, and another couple for Sushi.

Sunday:  Began the day with Elan's mom's birthday brunch (tons of food and friends).  Then after Elan, Jackie and I headed over to Rhodes Memorial, which is a part of the University of Cape Town and overlooks the university as well as part of the city.  It is a huge monument with a great view (see pictures).  Elan gave me a personalized tour of the University of Cape Town and then we all headed back to his parents for a bit of family time.  Right around 5:30 we took a ride over to Chapman's peak for a view of Hout Bay at sunset (see pictures).  Completely gorgeous and breathtaking.

Monday:  Jackie and I rode into Cape Town with Elan because we wanted to get an early start.  Elan dropped us off at a coffee shop where we sat for an hour or so until the Holocaust Museum was open.  The museum is small but it packs an important message for those that have little or no idea about the Holocaust and for those that might not be believers.  We then walked over to the oldest temple in Cape Town, Cape Town Hebrew Congregation.  It is a rather large synagogue with beautiful stain glass windows and a very old world charm.  We then walked over to the Jewish Museum (they are all in the same complex).  The museum is well done and completely informational.  It includes a part about how Jews began in South Africa (as peddlers, miners), where the Jewish communities were formed (Jackie pointed out Elan's great-grand father who was sent to from Britain to be a rabbi in Oudtshoorn), and the connection between Jews and apartheid.  There was another exhibit that was all about the  "The Rugby Minyan." There have been 10 Jewish men that played rugby over the years.  We left and killed some time until Elan met us for lunch.  The rest of the day Jackie and I spent roaming around the Company Gardens (where the government is houses and the fattest squirrel ever was seen- see pics) and Cape Town exploring some new stores and areas. At the end of the day we met up with Elan, who drove us to Signal Hill to see the sunset over Sea Point and the city of Cape Town (see pics).  The sunset was magnificent and the colors were spectacular.  It was great to see and spend time with Jackie and Elan.  I really miss not having them in DC but hopefully I can get one more visit to see their new apartment and the newest addition to their family.

On Tuesday morning I headed back to Potchefstroom to finally settle in and start working! I am officially back here until I can find another reason to go explore without getting behind on my work.  The teachers return on Monday and the research will begin.  Until then, I will spend time working on things that have to get done and exploring a bit more of Potchefstroom!