Well, we decided to leave all my suitcases in the flat so that I would have something to do this evening, but taking a quick tour, I have the most remarkable set up. There’s a little kitchen with everything there. Nkidi even made sure there was tea, coffee, and sugar waiting for me as well as some milk and water in the fridge. The little bathroom across from the kitchen has a shower so that’s perfect. Behind the kitchen is the living/dining room with cupboards for storing Ben’s clothes, my books, and the laundry detergent and ironing board. Across from the living space is the bedroom with twin beds and a small desk. There’s plenty of storage in this cupboard and I’ve already filled it with my clothes.
At the Pic ‘n Pay I bought groceries to get me started. The bill was over $100 but I rationalized that those purchases of detergent, storage containers, and staples were just the way it was. Hopefully, I’ll be able to cut back on that, but then, I’ve already started a list that inclusde a better corkscrew than the one that was in the kitchen! I used every tool in the drawer to get to my first bottle of Chardonnay but it was well worth the struggle to get that bottle opened.
Over lunch Linda, Nkidi, and I talked about their early childhood education program and the role of the field placement. Although our challenges are very different, we share the same concerns for high quality placements for our students and the need to have extended time in the field to allow our students to make the connections between theory and the real world of practice. One of the real delights of the afternoon was running into one of Linda’s students. Her passion for teaching and her excitement for her current placement were palpable and I was immediately reminded of the students I’ve left behind. There’s so much to look forward to here!
When I finally arrived home this evening, I managed to unpack while listening to the news. There are major concerns for the pass rate on matriculation exams and it seems evident that students really want to learn. How do we bring that same excitement and commitment to our teaching so that all of us can benefit?
While at lunch today, we saw three young women in school uniforms. Nkidi commented on how feminine the uniforms were and I regretted that I didn’t have my camera with me. The dresses were a bright orange halter top style. The girls also had blazers, orange head bands, and gold sandals. It was the first time I had seen a girl’s uniform that looked anything like this. Then I remembered a conversation that Themba shared with me on Tuesday evening after supper. We were talking about his son’s uniforms when he mentioned that during apartheid, all the black children, regardless of where they went to school, wore the same black and white uniform. Other schools had their own colors to identify them, but the black children all had the same basic uniform. When I look at students coming home or going out on break, you can see a rainbow of colors representing many schools. There are some things that have definitely changed, but without having a dear friend explain the past to me, I certainly wouldn’t be able to appreciate what I saw today.
Another challenge that I am facing is that of living alone. For me, this is quite exciting and a little scary. I’ve been married and had children for so long that I’m comfortable with the chaos of people coming and going. This experience is brand new! Of course, as I try to figure out how much to buy at the grocery store, I think about my daughter Suzy and the times that we’ve been grocery shopping together. She has had her own apartment for several years now, so I try to remember what she’s said about cooking for one. Suzy won’t be surprised to read that I made sure there’s tuna, peanut butter and jelly, and my favorite cereal. I only bought 2 packs of meat and already have tomorrow night’s supper ready after cooking it today. I also think about my daughter Caroline who’s also lived apart from her husband as they have very different careers. I hope that I’m as conscientious as she is on the studying and writing part while I’m alone. She also made a point to get to know her neighbors so I’m planning to introduce myself to the American woman and her child who live across the hall from me tomorrow. Now if I can be as brave as those two daughters and learn my way around! I’m only 2 blocks from the Hatfield area with tons of shopping and restaurants and the main campus of the University of Pretoria. Then there’s the bus to figure out so I can get to my campus. And, of course, trying to register a SIM card so that I can use my phone seems to be a major issue.
Well enough for now! Tomorrow I go to the office and say hello to all my colleagues.
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