Hi. So I thought that I would take this time to show you a little of what I have been cooking here at school. So I'm sorry if the following makes you hungry.
It was Italy day and I made pizza. One was a margarita two were with sauted mushrooms and the last ones were with squash and sage.
Cinnamon rolls.
Spanish Tapa. It is a fried pita sandwich with veal and sorrano ham inside. Beet chips are surrounding it.
Boiling my bagels before proofing then baking them.
My bread animals. These were fun to make.
The Vietnam soup. Pho Bo. It was good.
This is my pride. The checkerboard cookie. It only took a couple weeks to make. This cookie is more about look then taste.
Fried rice and sweet and spicy beef.
Sour cream apple pies.
Well I hope that you aren't too hungry. These are just a small picture of what I have made this semester. In World Cuisine we have just started Mexico. So Im sure that we are going to be making a lot of yummy food.
This past Friday was the Tasters Guild. Its an event that the world cuisine students put on each year for the next years scholarships. There are about 16 tables all over the building with food from different countries to taste, over 450 tickets sold, lots of gifts to bid on. Its a fun night but a busy one for those of us who work at it.
This event meant that my class and I cook, decorate and serve food from different countries. Our class (Chef Lucy's) was in 4 groups; Greece, Italy, Caribbean, and China. I was on the China Team. For the event we tested recipes and designed our table layout and organized production for last week. All week (well Monday and Wednesday) we prepared for Friday.
When Friday came, it was time for decorating the table. And for doing the final production like cooking the proteins. My team and I went in at 930 to start setting up. By 12 we took a break only to return in a couple hours for the night. With such a huge event all the culinary students were there to help out. All went well. To my hope my team stayed ahead of schedule during prep time. Then once the guests arrive, it was busy. I think our table had a constant line of at least 10 people. With our menu that included lettuce wrapped chicken and Peking Duck we were busy. I never tried our food Friday but we were told that it was very good. We had people taking seconds on our duck and dumplings even before they ate their first one.
After food was scholarships. The culinary institute gave out $30,000 in scholarships and I was blessed to be on the receiving side of one of them. Then the rest of the evening was breaking down and cleaning up while our guests bid in the auction to raise money for next years scholarship.
Thank you all for prayers and support for this even or even just for my schooling. I am really enjoying culinary school and cant wait to use it to glorify God in the future. I feel blessed to be going to school for something that I completely enjoy.
This past week the Bible Study I am part of here on Campus went away for a retreat. We were blessed with a huge house to stay in- Waldhiem II (pronounced with a V). I believe there was about 8 bedrooms and like 16 beds. It is out on the Old Mission peninsula.
It was a great time of fellowship and a time to get to know each other and strengthen friendships and make new ones. I was blessed to have many great one on one conversations through out the week. A bunch of us ladies went on a hike on Saturday and were able to have fun and chat but also spend some great time in prayer down by the water praising God for his creation and bringing us together. Such a sweet time.
I had started to forget how much I love community and how I love living in a house full of friends. It was so much fun. The Guys and Girls each cooked two meals. The evenings were spent worshiping and playing a wide range of different games. A late night run to the 7eleven for milk also took place.
The Lord is so good. The following are a few pictures of the weekend.
A group of the Ladies before we headed out on our hike.
Two wonderful ladies Becky and Taylor (middle) with Me and the retreat.
Hi everyone. Sorry that it has been so long. We are now looking at February swiftly approaching and January disappearing behind us.
I'm not sure where the time has gone. Im am back at school in my second semester at Culinary school. I have to say that I do enjoy my lab classes a lot. There are times that I want to get on a plane and fly to Africa and never leave. But I know that the Lord has me here doing this for the time being so I have decided to enjoy it and not fight it.
Last semester was all about getting through the culture shock phase. After three years ont he mission field there was a lot to "get use to". Its almost shocking, no it is shocking, at what the world is like when you look around and pay attention. It was a struggle each day. I felt so alone and lost. But as the title of this blog states. GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS. And it's so true. I was chatting with one of my girls from last year, Jess, and we were talking about life and I realized that we have both been blessed with new friends. She just recently started going to a new church which has a college group. And I have my bible study here at school. What else I realized is that we were both praying for each other to find friends and have a community. Its so cool that God cares and wants us to have friends to have fun with and to know that we are not alone. We could all live without friends. So many people do everyday. I feel blessed to have such great ones and now I have friends here at school to add to that list. I know it may seem funny to some about how excited I am to have friends but its something that means a lot to me. And I'm just thankful that Jesus knows that.
So this year I was able to spend Christmas at home with family and friends. It was good to be home but I have to be honest, America does Christmas way to much. What I mean by that is, 24 hour Christmas music, Santa movies on TV every night, HUGE light displays and so much more. I feel like Jesus gets lost in the American Christmas. Isn't Christmas Jesus's Birthday? We should be doing everything for Him and always keep Him in our thoughts and speech.
My sister and I talked a lot about not doing Christmas gifts next year. That it really should be a day to celebrate Jesus and what his birth means for us. What His life did and still is doing for us. So much stress and worry is wrapped up into getting the perfect gift to each person on your list. And then you worry if they are going to like it or not. Isn't the whole point of the gift thing is to give. To bless someone with the fact that they thought of you.
I just pray that one day America will realize Christmas isn't about Lights, or cookies or expensive presents, or sales. That Jesus will get his day back. That He will be celebrated.
The following is my last and final english paper of my college career. We had to argue the future. Although the future that I wrote about is not one I would like to see it is one that I believe will happen without a miracle. So I ask you to join me in prayer for the country of Swaziland.
The year is 2029 and only two
generations are left, grandparents and grandkids. The entire middle generation
has died. Fast-forward another 10 years. All that is left are kids, those who
have lost parents and now grandparents. Children who should be going to school,
playing games with friends and having fun are now the responsible ones. They
must take care of their younger siblings, providing food, a home and safety for
siblings who too have been made orphans by AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency
Syndrome). By 2039 only Swazis 15 year old and younger are left. And by 2049
Swaziland will be gone. AIDS will destroy a nation.
The United Nations has said that by
2050 Swaziland will no longer exist (qtd. in Why) however this statement cannot
be found as a direct UN quote. Although it can be found on more than ten other
websites, mostly mission organizations.Every website quotes the UN saying that "Swaziland will be extinct by
2050".
Swaziland's AIDS rate is the
highest infection rate of AIDS in the world. Swaziland will continue to lead in
cases of AIDS until it no longer exists.This
fact will not impact or upset most Americans and others living around the world
but for the over 1 million people living in Swaziland it will mean the end. Not
just of a nation, but of a culture and a home, the end of family and friends.
Swaziland will not be destroyed by war, or famine but by a disease that attacks
the body's immune system. It will leave the country helpless till there is no
one left.
So much of the reason for AIDS and
the high prevalence in Swaziland is the culture. The way that the Swazis live
encourages the spread of AIDS. "Swazis are very traditional people, and their
sexual behavior is inbred and totally against safe sex practices...that limit the
spread of HIV"(IRIN). By not using condoms or being in only one relationship
increases the chance and probability of the spreading HIV (Human
Immunodeficiency Virus) and AIDS.
In Swaziland's culture, the women
are taught to be submissive and below the men, who are pressured from a young
age to have sex (Whiteside et al 29). Women really can't say no to men. Women
serve men and make their life better. This creates the social norm of abuse and
rape. Swazi women say yes and put men first. Which continues the spread of
AIDS.
While visiting Swaziland a few
years ago I was able to see these cultural beliefs first hand. While there, as a female, I was never
to look men in the eyes when talking to them. Also, as a female, for meals I
and the other females in the group had to serve the men their food then sit on
the ground while the men ate in chairs. These cultural traditions/customs are
deeply rooted. To change them would take many generations; this is something
Swaziland does not have.
Multiple wives is a huge practice
in Swaziland. With multiple wives these men are sleeping with more than one
woman thus have a higher chance of spreading or acquiring AIDS. "During the initial and later stages of
the infection period, a HIV-positive person has more viruses in their body and
this heightens exposure of their sexual partners" (Whiteside et al 17).
No, not every man rapes women, not
every wife has to share her husband with one or more women. But AIDS knows no
face, no gender, no age, no color it gets everyone (Youtube). No one is free of
it. If one stays negative of AIDS it still affects them.. Everyone in Swaziland
knows someone who has died of AIDS, most likely a family member. Everyone is
affected by it.
Yet, AIDS is the elephant in the
room. No one wants to talk about it because then it would be real. Many myths
and lies are out there circulating about AIDS and HIV. Myths that the Swazis
believe about AIDS only help in the spreading of AIDS and HIV. Men (women too)
believe that if they sleep with a virgin, they will be healed of AIDS. This
brings about a wide number of rapes. Another myth states that if one has sex
with a fat person the AIDS is absorbed in the fat therefore they are at no
risk. These myths and many more help the spread of AIDS.
King Mswati III of Swaziland has 13
wives (Maldonado). Whether a King, a President or a Prime minister the country
looks up to them. Swazis look to their king to lead them to show them what to
do and how to live. If the king realizes what is happening and changes his way
the rest of the country would follow. But that is not happening. A missionary
to Swaziland explains how the king thinks.
He [the king]
recognizes what is going on, especially with so many NPOs [nonprofit
organizations] and NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] coming in helping
alleviate problems associated with AIDS and poverty. However, just like most
people...if you recognize a problem, then you must face the consequences. In a
nation where many still believe in ancestral worship and rely on sangomas
[witch doctors], it's easy to believe that there are ridiculous cures for these
problems (Maldonado).
As the King continues with his current life style so will
the rest of his country.
Many statistics show numbers for
death rate, life expectancy, and prevalence of AIDS improving just in this past
year. In 2004 14,000 died of HIV/AIDS along with 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and now
in 2009 only 10,000 have died (CIA).Many people may look at those numbers and say "What do you mean
Swaziland is disappearing?" The recent change in numbers is only a temporary
change. For many years Swaziland's numbers have decreased so much that with one
year of a tiny improvement the future will not change. According to the CIA the
prevalence rate of AIDS, the numbers of people living with AIDS and the number
of AIDS deaths is unchanged since 2004 until this year when there was huge
improvement. In 2004 the prevalence rate was 38.8%; in 2008 it was still 38.8%;
then in 2009 it dropped to 26.1%, a drop of more than 10%. These numbers seem
incorrect. That is a huge drop in a short amount of time. Swazis rarely talk
about AIDS. They rarely talked about it in 2004 either. But now in 2009 AIDS is
more taboo because of shame and guilt. More people are hiding their status now
then they did in the past. Because AIDS is a topic that people never talk
about, numbers are unreliable. Many people never tell anyone else their status.
If they do not tell their family and friends, why would they tell some one
taking a survey? Surveys can't
take fear and lies into account. Numbers explain numbers, not how a country
thinks or feels. Numbers are
numbers till they have faces and stories. Then they mean something.
Life expectancy in Swaziland today
is about 32 years (WFP). That means that those who are born today will live a
short life. Some may live longer, but for the majority of the population 50 is
not a reality. Not 10 years ago, life expectancy was 61 years (IRIN). In just 10 years, life expectancy
dropped 29 years. What kind of a drop will the next ten years bring as more and
more become infected and the country becomes poorer?
For Swaziland to change its future,
it's thinking, beliefs and the way that people live day-to-day needs to change.
For years, Swazis have focused on populating their country. No thought given to
the repercussion of a mass production. According to Joseph Dlamini, it all
comes from the need to populate. Dlamini points out the belief of "increase the
population at all costs" started long ago (qt in Integrated). Swazis only know
this. Today Swazis are still
focused on populating their country. They will continue to be.
AIDS is spreading. And Swazis and
their culture is the cause for the rapid spread. Even if Swazis were educated
and they change how they live and what they think, the future is still grim. It
takes many generations and time for a whole country/culture to change how they
live. Even if laws were put in place a change in behavior is no guarantee. When
prohibition started people did not just simply stop drinking. They smuggled
alcohol in. The problem was worse after the law then before.
There will always be missionaries,
non-profits and other groups trying to help the Swazis. People will never give
up on them. But no matter how much people help, without changing the way of
life in Swaziland, hope of survival for the country is lost. The time for
Swaziland to change and it make a difference has past. Even if the whole
country decided to abstain (the only sure fire way of not spreading AIDS) and
turn the country around, Swaziland is still dying. It may take longer than 50
years, but Swaziland would disappear all the same. Many things go into the
survival of a country: poverty, morel, and so much more.
AIDS and HIV is such a huge complex
disease that the cure has to be just as complex. "Eliminating HIV from the body would require flushing
the virus out of its
hiding places and preventing those reservoirs from being refilled. A tall order
..." (Stevenson). Researchers need to be close to a cure now for one to be found
in the next 50 years. But every time a new drug made that gets closer to the
cure, the HIV adapts to it and no longer does the job. Everyday people spend
hours trying to find the cure of AIDS.Every day people try to find the cure for cancer, Alzheimer's and other
diseases. Cures are no guarantee. People can only work toward them with hope of
a solution.
Presently, antiretroviral drugs
(ARVs) are available to slow down the spread of the disease in the body. This
is a class of drugs that delay the onset of AIDS and keeps the HIV in a dormant
like state. A misconception among many Swazis is that by taking ARVs they
cannot spread HIV. But even on ARVs AIDS is spread able.
According to the
CIA, Swaziland has 40% unemployment and 69% are below the poverty line. The 69%
live on less then a dollar a day. Poverty brings malnutrition, poor hygiene
both of which help spread AIDS. With no other chance to survive women and young
girls sleep around for food and money. Poverty makes people desperate.
Desperate enough to make these women and girls risk getting AIDS so that they
will have food to eat and a place to sleep. With poverty come[s] many more
problems and they all add up to the death of a nation (Maldonado).
AIDS and poverty brings the age of
Swaziland down. The majority of the country is 15 years old or younger. "There
are an estimated 80,000 orphans in the country and the number is expected to
rise to 120,000 by 2010"(WFP). With a life expectancy of about 32 years most of
those 15 year olds will be long gone before they reach that age. Maldonado
explains "most kids wont make it to their 5th birthday whether due
to malnutrition or the virus itself". With the lowest life expectancy, major
poverty, and AIDS Swaziland needs to fight to stay alive. Odds are against
them.
Ignorance plays a
huge part in the future of Swaziland. Ignorance gets in the way of change. Without new knowledge or information
things stay the same. The continuance of rape, polygamy, unsafe sex, traditions
and more equates to the extinction of a country by AIDS. The UNAIDS executive
director Michel Sidibe explains it best, "What you do from this day
forward will write, or rewrite, the story of AIDS across Africa" (Bryson). For
Swaziland this couldn't be truer. What Swaziland does today about AIDS, writes
the outcome of its country. And right now their outcome ends in 50 years.
Works Cited.
Swaziland: HIV/AIDS and
Tuberculosis- Breaking The Silence. 24 March 2009. YouTube. Web. 1 December
2009.
Bryson, Donna. "S. Africa to
Treat all HIV-Postive Babies." The Associated Press. Google, 1 Dec. 2009. Web. 1 Dec. 2009.
Central Intelligence Agency.
"Africa: Swaziland." The World Factbook.
N.p., Nov. 2009. Web. 16 Nov. 2009.
Integrated Regional
Information Networks (IRIN), Swaziland: A culture that encourages HIV/AIDS, 15
April 2009. Web. 11 November 2009.
Stevenson,
Mario "CAN HIV BE CURED?." Scientific American 299.5 (2008): 78-83. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 3 Dec. 2009.
Whiteside,
Alan, Alison Hickey, Nkosinathi Ngcobo, and Jane Tomlinson. What is driving
the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Swaziland, and what more can we do about it? Rep. Durban: Health Economics & HIV/AIDS
Research Division (HEARD), 2003. South African Regional Poverty
Network (SARPN). SARPN, Apr. 2003. Web. 12
Nov. 2009.
"Why
Swaziland." Welcome to SwaziMission.
Web. 08 Dec. 2009.
World Food Pogramme (WFP).
"Swaziland." World Food Programme. World
Food Programme, 2009. Web. 30 Nov. 2009.
As far back as I can remember my third cousins were always the first ones that we thought of when going somewhere. Many ski trips, a back country moose hunt, a Disney trip, a three week roadtrip out west, many camping adventures were spent with the Prines. So you can understand my excitement when I found out that my cousins Katelyn (KP) and Erika came up with their mom, my mom and sister. Its has been so long since the 6 of us went on an adventure. Its' hard to balance every ones schedules and get together for more than a couple hours so a whole weekend was a treat.
Once they got up here on Saturday, that is after getting back on the right track after getting "lost" we went to look at lights for my aunts new room then walked around downtown followed by the mall then a late dinner that was a little too spicy for some. Then back to our separate hotels. Mom and Aunt Carol each booked a room but in different hotels. So the moms got one and us girls got the other. After some homework time, KP, Erika and I cuddled up in bed and watched a movie while Katie went to bed. Soon KP was asleep and Erika and I were left laughing till 2 in the morning.
Then Today we got up early and started out early. Heading to Sleeping Bear Dunes to do some exploring. After playing on the dunes and taking tons of pictures we continued on stopping a couple more times. It was a good weekend that was long over due. Below are a couple pictures of the 4 of us girls.
The following is my second English Paper. The assignment was to argue a crisis. I took on education in the Townships of South Africa and more specifically Jbay. Please read if you have time.
Three
years ago I visited Jeffery's Bay (Jbay to the locals), South Africa for the
first time. I traveled there to do
volunteer work for a year. Upon first arrival, it became clear why people from
all over visit. One of the many visitors to Jbay described what she saw as
"Quaint little cottages and million dollar homes are available for rent, and
most people zoom around town in their nice European-imported cars" (Pictures).
From many places in town, one can see the ocean. Beautiful homes and little Bed
& Breakfasts over-looking the crisp blue water with waves breaking gently
on the beach makes you fall in love with this surfing town on the Indian Ocean. If visitors are lucky, dolphins or whales
can be seen swimming in the distance. Souvenir shops, cafés and surf shops line
the main street that sits parallel to the beach covered in beautiful shells, a
place where any day people can be seen relaxing and enjoying the ocean. This town hosts the Billabong Pro
tournament every July when thousands of visitors and tourists vacation. I fell in love almost immediately no
way not too. Jbay is so close to
perfect that no one notices the flaws, not even the locals.
A
couple days later, I was able to see the other half the town. This half was
dirt road after dirt road lined with shack after shack. "The ghetto [township]
covers hundreds of acres of land, even though each individual family only
occupies a small shack roughly the size of a North American bathroom"(Pictures).
These shacks are made of metal or wood or whatever people can find to build
their homes. Looking around the township of Tokyo Sexwale, I could clearly see
that this was where the Black locals live. There was not one White person in sight.
After
living in town for several weeks, I came to learn more about Jbay. The number
of people living in the townships of Pellsrus, Tokyo Sewale, and Ocean View is
equal to the rest of the town. And
the townships together are not even half the size of the town. Visiting shops in town and going to
local restaurants, I noticed a trend. Only White people are visible to the
customers. At first look there seemed to be no Blacks (true African
descendents) or Coloreds (a mix race) working in Jbay. After more time and
getting to know shop owners and restaurants, I learned that the Black and
Colored workers are behind the scenes where no one can see. They work in the
kitchens or do the janitorial jobs after hours.
When
I went into a shack for the first time, I was shocked. It was a reality check. I walked into this room that was about
8 feet wide and 12 feet long. It was wallpapered with newspaper and magazines
on top of the mismatching pieces of plywood and anything else the single mother
with Aids could find to put walls around her and her young baby. The roof was a
blue tarp and the floor was dirt.The trap kept the sun out but not rain. The only hope was a small amount
of privacy. After seeing more shacks and spending more time in the townships, I
realized that problems of partiality and habit handicap those who live in the
townships. The cycle will continue
if not stopped.
Many
kids and families in the townships in Jbay and the rest of South Africa have
stories that seem unfair. And they
are unfair. No kids should have to grow up living in a 8' x 12' shack that they
share with five or more family members, wearing the same cloths all week, and
not learning how to spell their name till around age 12. To the 40,000 or so
that live in the townships on the outskirt of Jbay, (Pictures) all of this is
normal everyday life. No one expects kids to know how to do math or read or
write, let alone teach them.
What
got me was in 2006, a good ten plus years after the Apartheid ended, the town
still runs like they did under Apartheid. Yes, Blacks and Coloreds have more
opportunities than they did. But why aren't Blacks and Coloreds able to wait
tables or run a cash register? I mean they have 10 fingers, two legs just like
White people; we are all humans.So what keeps Blacks and Coloreds living in Pellsrus, Tokyo Sexwale and
Ocean View?
Part
of my job at an after school program in the township of Tokyo Sexwale was to
teach the Black kids English, Xhosa, and Afrikaans, the three languages used in
Jbay. I found out quick that many
of the kids I was teaching unable to write letters, or even name them. Kids as old as 12 were writing letters
backwards or just copying what I had written on the whiteboard, they had no
knowledge of the letters. Letters
are the basic foundation of any language. These Black kids only know how to
speak their language (Xhosa) barely able to read or write in it. Living in a country with 11 official
languages and only knowledge of one is a big disadvantage. In a town based on English and Afrikaans,
these Black kids will struggle interacting with others.
Education
is such an important thing. It is
such a simple thing too; it opens doors and provides opportunities. In America everyone can go to school
whether rich or poor. But in South Africa school fees and uniforms are
necessary for even the public schools.Most Families in the townships struggle to cover mandatory school fees.
Kids end up not going to school or families go without food just so their kids
can go to school. Even at school learning rarely happens. Sometimes teachers never show up and so
the kids leave and hang out on the streets and get into trouble. The trouble that these kids get into at
young ages stays with them and develops into bad habits as teens. Then these teens grow into adults
thinking that things like drinking, drugs, and sexual abuse are okay. And the cycle continues.
These
kids have no one in their lives telling them what is right or wrong. No one is
showing them how to grow up to be smart and healthy. School should be a place
where you go and learn about numbers and how to read but also about respect and
how to relate to others, how to communicate and live. Kids in the townships
have no one telling them that stealing is wrong or that getting into fights is
bad. Parents are almost
nonexistent. And most of the time
if parents are present they revert to abuse both physical and verbal to get
their points across and teach the lesson. Really good families and kids both do
live in the townships around Jbay and other South African families. Not every family is abusive or
nonexistent. But lots of them are.
The
crime, spread of Aids, oppression, lack of education and despair that go on in
Jbay's townships do not have to happen.Habit plays a big factor in what goes on. Ever since the start of the Apartheid, Blacks and Coloreds
are use to being low on the status ladder. Blacks and Coloreds are use to having the bad jobs, to being
told what to do, living from day to day with no idea what the next day brings.
This can be prevented. The
Apartheid ended over a decade ago, with the end of it the Blacks and Coloreds
were no longer at the bottom by law.Technically, they have the same opportunities as white South Africans.
Yet all races in Jbay and the rest of South Africa are still living like they
lived under Apartheid. Everyone's use to what they grew up in. Whites are use
to being above and the blacks are use to being on the bottom.
Education
needs to be brought to all ages of people living in the townships. There needs to be many forms of
education covering all areas of life for these citizens. The Adults, those who grew up only
knowing the Apartheid way of life need to be taught how to do things that they
are now able to do. Many families
suffer because they do not know how to manage money. Paid on Friday and by Monday they are broke. Men go straight
to the tavern after work and practically spend the whole weekend there. Some families will go out and buy the
big screen TV or a car then have no more money for gas so the car sits there.
Education provides hope for a better life. It is the catalyst for breaking the cycle.
Just
recently, schools in South Africa have started integrating other races. A few
Blacks and Coloreds go to White schools but rarely if at all will you find a
White student in a Colored or Black school. Ladders refers to White Schools as being "hardly open wide"
to the Black race. Schools should be worried about the quality of education and
not the color of the students or teachers. If it takes White teachers (because
they are educated) in Black and Colored schools to bring up the level of
education and help improve the schools then they should teach there.
The
White school in Jbay is fully equipped with large classrooms, rugby fields with
grass, teachers who care about each student and know how and what to
teach. Black and Colored Schools
have classrooms with broken desks and chairs, gravel and glass to play on, and
teachers who do not know what to do half the time. For the black and colored students of Jbay and the rest of
the country to rise above Apartheid and to be successful in life their schools
need to change. They need to be
given a chance. Chances that they have yet to receive.
Nearly all South African children attend primary
school, which for a developing nation is doing good. The quality for the education is another matter. South Africa compares badly even with
other African countries. In an international study in 2003 of young teenagers'
proficiency in maths [sic] and science, South Africa came last of 50 countries
(ladders).
What
that chance looks like for each school maybe different, but one thing that is
common is a quality teacher. Teachers are what a school runs on. Every school
has to have them. Mass chaos and no lessons would exist with no teachers. Who would teach students if there were
no teachers? Schools need teachers
who care about the students, who are educated and qualified to teach. Teachers
who are uneducated and unqualified are only hurting the situation and keeping the
cycle going. This generation of students is at a risk of being a "lost
generation" (Dugger). These students have no education or ability to get out of
where they are.
Teachers
in the townships of Jbay make hardly anything. Like everyone else in the townships,
teachers make just enough to survive.The teachers that teach at Pellsrus and Tokyo Sexwale schools are hired
to fill empty spots. So few qualified teachers are available to teach that
standards have been lowered. Teachers who would never be hired to teach are
teaching because those who should be teaching are nonexistent or available.
Black
and Colored schools just like the white schools, receive aid from the
government. No matter how many books, nice desks or chalk a school has, if only
uneducated unqualified teachers are hired kids will not learn. Linda Chisholm, an education expert at
the Human Sciences Research Council states, "The learning outcomes will only be
as good as the qualifications of the teachers" (ladder). Schools need educated and qualified
teachers for the job.
Lack
of teachers and money in the nonwhite schools has forced schools to hire
unqualified people to teach. When
incompetent teachers are hired to teach they have no knowledge of what to teach
and as a result learning is nonexistent. According to Ladders the number of
unqualified teachers in South Africa is higher today that it was in 1975. According to Dugger, even President
Zuma has noticed that it is "worse in the poor and working class communities".
The
Apartheid lasted from 1948 to 1990.The current Black and Colored teachers grew up during the apartheid
where they were unable to learn.Blacks and Coloreds were refused higher education. Dugger explains that
because of "inferior education" during the Apartheid, today teachers have no
ability to teach. When tested they scored low on tests that sixth graders
should be passing. So now we have
teachers who know nothing teaching kids. How can someone who knows nothing
teach something?
I
understand that it does take awhile of things to change. Change does not happen overnight and
sometimes change cannot happen overnight.But for change to happen, steps forward need to be taken. If small steps
are taken, small changes made, little by little things will change. The problem with the townships is those
steps forward are rarely being taken.There are some great after school programs that ministries have started
but the locals need to take steps toward change themselves.
In
the townships absentness with teachers is higher than that of the students. In
some schools the students are rioting about this problem. Students understand
that they need schooling to get somewhere in life. They have hopes and dreams of becoming teachers, doctors,
and lawyers. But they are not given a chance to reach these dreams. "Half of
[the] students never make it to 12th grade" (Dugger).
All
of the students that do not make it to 12th grade are left wandering
the streets getting into trouble. Kids need to be stimulated, if they is no
stimulation at school kids go out and find something to stimulate them and in
the townships, whether that is sex, drugs, and all kinds of terrible things.
Kids want to learn but in the townships learning rarely happens. Qualified and
educated teachers are needed for the kids to have a chance.
Inequality
and despair should not be a crutch in the townships for people to use as an
excuse as to why they cannot change but it should be the reason and excuse to
change. Qualified teachers who want to teach need to be found and used to give
kids a chance at the world and at life. When qualified and educated teachers
are hired, teachers will teach and the students will actually learn and things
will change. Competent teachers in
nonwhite schools will change the status quo.
Works Cited
A pictures worth a thousand words. Dantee, 18 March 2007. Web. 27 Oct.2009. Online
posting.
Dugger, Cellia. "Eager Students Fall Prey to
Apartheid's Legacy." New York Times.
20 Sept. 2009. Web 26. Oct. 2009
"Ladders out of poverty." Economist 378.8472 (2006): 9-10. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Web. 28 Oct. 2009.
I have found myself in an English class that is all about arguing. If you know me I don't like conflict, competition, or anything that has to do with arguing. I like everyone happy and I don't like to push people to think my way.
Well just my luck I get to write papers all semester doing just that- ARGUING. The previous post was my first paper and I am currently working on another one. I have struggled a lot in this class. If someone were to tell me to write a 20 page research paper about X it would easy. But to write a 7 page argument has me stressing and at a loss of how to do it. My mom kindly told me that its a good thing that I am taking this class. Even though its kicking my butt (Have I mentioned that my prof wrote our text book) I will learn lots and be able to use it in my future missions work. I agree with her just not sure why God chose for me to learn the conflict lesson in college for a grade. Its funny how God works and how He teaches us things. Who knew I would learn important life lessons in an English class.
Just thought I would share a little bit about how God is teaching me even in a classroom.
Below is the paper that I just finished for English. I talks about Facebook and how our relationships are effected by it. My mom really liked the paper and thought I should post it. School is going good. Its really different then missions on the field so Im still getting use to it. Im learning a lot in my classes and having fun too. Promise to update you more later.
Class
is over I return to my room and the first thing I do is log on to my computer
and check Facebook to see if I have any new notifications. If I do it makes me
feel loved and if I not it hurts, I feel like I'm not important, not worth
someone else's time. When I log in and there is a little red box at the bottom
right of the screen holding a number it shouts, "someone thought of you". I
open it up to find a notification that someone just beat my score in Farkle, or
that someone else commented on a status; neither of which has anything to do
with someone thinking of me.
I'm
not the only one that Facebook does this to. Every day numerous people log on
to Facebook in hope that someone has made an effort to connect with them and
every day people are disappointed.
Humans
need to connect and be connected to others. People need others in their lives,
and Facebook promises to help with that. Everyone with a profile has friends
and connections, but fulfilling the human need of relationship cannot be solved
as easily as Facebook implies. Facebook has its users believing that by using
their services they will no longer feel lonely or be friendless; by using
Facebook they will always have someone to talk to. But many times users log on hoping for a new post on their
wall or an updated thread and when they do not, disappointment comes.
Facebook
defines its connections as friendships. A user invites people to be his or her
friend. How many of peoples Facebook friends are actually friends of
theirs? A friend is someone that a
person has a relationship with and who they like. The majority of the time
friends share common characteristics and values. When two friends take a walk in the park they are able to
appreciate the beauty around them, or when two friends go shopping they can
find a great outfit. The hands on visible value of things help to connect
people. Seeing someone's reaction to something and realizing that you share
that reaction. Friends know what each other likes, what the others values are
and is able to share them.Facebook has changed the definition of a friend. On Facebook a friend is
totally different. A friend on Facebook could be someone that the user knows
someone they have never met. A user just need to be willing to click the accept
button and let them have access to their profile. Facebook takes the personal
aspect out of relationships. No longer are there a person-to-person connection
but a person-to-computer-to-computer-to-person connection. Facebook is not
bringing users closer together it draws them farther apart from each other and
results in deteriorated relationships.
Facebook
has organized everyone's information the same easy way to read and view. Facebook wants its users to feel close
to their friends by being able to view pictures and read information. This also
happens when reading a book or watching a movie. Just because information is
known about someone or what he or she looks like is public information does not
mean you are in a relationship with them.
We
are farther away from each other than ever before yet thinking we are closer.Facebook provides way to believe you
are close since you are reading about them, just like with Harry Potter or
Edward Cullen and Bella Swan.
A
couple years ago I had a friend who I saw about five days a week who I talked
to more and interacted with more on Facebook than I did in person. We were playing scrabble, Super Heroes,
writing on each other's wall all before we had met in person and we worked in
the same one story building of a small Christian organization. Facebook had me
believing that this action was okay, that there was no need to talk to him in
person. We were connected and that is what mattered. I finally realized how
backwards it was and sought him out to introduce myself. After that we had a
real friendship. We each knew who the other was; we connected on a
person-to-person level, which is something that Facebook will never be able to
offer. We spoke face to face with no computer screens between us. Talking face to face provides you with
a clear view of the person's nonverbal communication. I learned a lot more about him off Facebook than I ever did
on.
I'm
not saying that Facebook is terrible and everyone should all deactivate our
pages right now, but I am saying that we need to know how it affects
pre-Facebook relationships, and new Facebook friendships. Maybe a relationship
is out there that could change a users life but has no chance to because a
computer screen and 26 letters are holding it down, smothering it. Nonverbal
communication, which includes body language, makes up the majority of what you
say. When reading a wall post or a comment a user cannot see or hear the
other's nonverbals.Relationships are so much more than words and pictures on a computer
screen. A relationship is that hug
given a friend after a really bad day, or that laugh you share about an inside
joke.
Relationships
are built on times when people interact, share experiences, and are real with
each other. Relationships are built on actions. Facebook keeps users from being there for their friends. It
has made things easy. For Example it is Sallie's birthday. Sallie is Jessica's
friend. Sallie taught Jessica how to tie her shoes in kindergarten and the two
of them grew up together. Jessica notices on her Facebook homepage that it is
Sallies birthday. She proceeds to
click on sallies name and go to her profile. Where she writes, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!"
and posts it on Sallies wall. There, now that Jessica has wished her a happy
birthday she can go on with her day. Two words on a Facebook wall seem like it
is appropriate for the birthday of a good friend. A birthday is a day to feel
loved and celebrated. A day to celebrate that person: their day. To most people
two words and a few exclamation marks on their wall from a good friend will not
make them feel special. But a card or a call that someone took effort in and
put their personality in would.
I
understand that life is busy and fast pace these days, that sometimes there
just is not time or money to make a phone call or mail a letter. I have many friends overseas and in
other states that I use Facebook to keep us connected; but to rely completely
on Facebook for all of your relationships. To have Facebook be the main media
to connect with friends only leads to disaster. People need to put effort, time
and heart into relationships to make them survive.
Facebook downplays how important a real
relationship is. Friendships are
not taken as seriously as they should be on Facebook. Relationships take a lot of effort to work. Any given person has to put a lot into
relationships, whether with a sibling, parent, best friend, or significant
other. Facebook says it is easy, but anyone who has been in a relationship
knows that it is not an easy road, but more like a roller coaster, with hills,
turns, twists and tunnels. There are obstacles and trials in any relationship.
I know that there are times of laughter, success and triumph in relationships too,
but Facebook wants its users to believe that relationships are only filled with
happy times and that its easy to connect.
Facebook expects us to post our
celebrations; to find statuses or a wall posts that talk of trials or hardships
is hard. Users can agree with
peoples status's with a "like"
button but where is the "unlike" button. Users can become fans of something but
there is no option to be against. Daily Facebook has new people that they
suggest a user to become friends with. Users no longer need to look for people
they are placed in front of them.
Last
year I was able to live in a house full of other college students. We knew nothing about each other
starting out, all from different cities and states. But soon after moving in friendships began, real
relationships were built. We had
tough times but we also became a family.There are many memories that I have from this past year some sad (an
unexpected death), some great (House Olympics), others that are just plain
crazy (flat tires that catch fire).But I lived with 14 other humans for nine months and got to build an
intimate relationship with each one, spending time with them, talking to them,
going on adventures to find a butcher together. Those memories are something
that Facebook could never have supplied me with. Memories that are with me now
when we are all back in our separate cities. Now that we are no longer living
with each other it is more important than ever to put effort into those
relationships to keep them alive, which is proving to take more than a thread
on Facebook, or wall messages. If
I never call those amazing people and check in or take a road trip to see them
then our relationships that we put so much effort in and built are going to
crumble.
On
Facebook no effort is needed, just one click of the mouse and a new friend is
made. They are easy relationships.
One can just sit at their desk and have all their relationships organized in
front of them. The truth is relationships are not organized they are messy. A
relationship is a place where one can go up to the other person and tell them
how something is with them knowing it comes from a person who cares about them,
telling them what they need to hear whether it is that a shirt looks terrible
on them or that they were hurt by something they did. How many Facebook
relationships are like that? I have about five and that is only because we were
friends first in the real word before we were friends on Facebook.
Going deeper than surface level in relationships is
hard on Facebook. In society these days many friends with shallow relationships
is better than a few friends that are really close. Gone are the days when someone would have a couple best
friends in which they tell everything to.Facebook has helped with this trend. The fact that anything said to
someone (except for messages) is for the public to see keeps people from
becoming close. No one wants to have a private conversation that everyone can
read. Because of this relationships stay at a safe level, in the honeymoon stage.
Staying surface level with lots of friends helps one to not get hurt. If one
distances him or herself from people then no one can hurt them. But in doing
that they are just hurting themselves.
Facebook has come to be a status thing, a contest to
see who can get the most friends. The more friends the cooler one is. I
currently have 457 friends on Facebook and by no means is that a lot (a friend
of mine has over 2000 friends). Only about 150 do I connect with on a
semi-regular basis (about once a year) and about 50 on a normal regular basis.
About 14 do I connect with on a weekly basis and only 3-5 do I connect with on
a daily basis. Those 443 that I do
not talk to on a weekly basis, especially those 150+ that I only talk to once a
year Facebook labels friends. But they are not. Those are people who I met
once, went to high school with or have never even met. I would call them
acquaintances. I am as close to them as I am to you.
People
have no idea what Facebook is doing until all their relationships are dead and
they are left sitting in front of a screen full of organized profiles of people
that they once knew and interacted with.Just like Twitter and My Space, Facebook has supplied its users with a
place to go and connect with others. And just like them Facebook is an excuse
not to pick up the phone, a pen, or make an effort to grow a relationship.
Facebook has created a false sense of closeness. You are never closer to a person then when standing next to
them. Facebook has stolen that from us and has us believing that it is okay.