Iwan
***Disclaimer- Iwan may have grossly exaggerated in his account of the Lion cubs!
After having been in Pretoria, we got back on the bus excited at the prospect of seeing many exotic wild animals and of course, being with the lion cubs. When we arrived we went through the reception and got straight on the safari bus with a big cage around it. The bus set off, everybody on it excited. We went to the park at the perfect time as it was feeding time, so we saw the lions, wild dogs and cheetahs eating. We saw many other animals like wilder beasts, giraffes, wart hogs and an ostrich. After the amazing drive led by a very interesting guide, we arrived back at the reception and queued up to be with the cubs. After a few minutes waiting we got in and we were allowed to sit with and pet the lions. The lions were friendly at first however went it came to my turn, they turned very aggressive and I was scratched and bitten savagely on the leg, I thought I would need surgery, however it only made a bruise. The lions also made an attempt to pull peoples clothes off. One of the victims was Olivia Dunn, who almost had her top pulled off. After the meeting with the cubs, we got back on the bus and set off. The bus ride back was the best bus ride I have ever been on. Matseliso and Culcheth students had a great time singing and dancing our way home. After an amazing day got back to the school and then got on the bus back to the hotel.
Iwan ***Disclaimer- Iwan may have grossly exaggerated in his account of the Lion cubs!
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When arriving at Matseliso High, we were greeted with vibrant colour, songs and even more vibrant atmosphere. I could tell that everyone was quite apprehensive due to not knowing what to expect. However, we knew straight away, as we walked in that it was going to be one of the best days of the week. As we entered the school, some of us were gifted with bracelets and robes which were crafted by hand. As we were lead into the main quad of the school, we all were astonished to see how drastically the school’s outside area had changed for cultural day. The celebrations started off with a range of dances which resembled their different beliefs. Each of the cultures represented themselves in a unique way, each different to the next. The contrast between the colours when it wasn’t cultural day, usually, the Matseliso students would wear their maroon coloured uniform, however today they were wearing multi coloured skirts and T-shirt’s. We experienced drummers, rappers, a comedian, hip hop dances and many more. I think I can speak for all of us when I say, we will cherish the memories and performances forever.
Lily Yesterday ,10th of October, we had such an amazing day at Matseliso secondary school. When we arrived we were greeted by all the South African students singing and dancing inviting us in. Inside we carried on the singing and the South Africans taught us cultural songs: we also taught them English football songs and dances. Lots of us CHS students were made to dance in the middle of the circle and it was so eye-opening to how confident the South Africans were in front of their peers. Later on, a few CHS students went to adjudicate in chess games ,whilst the others stayed and learnt some more songs. Even though I am such a terrible singer, I felt so welcomed and wanted within the choir group and it made me feel really grateful for their acceptance. We learnt really fun dances and I enjoyed it so much. Finally the CHS drama students taught everyone one of their pieces from the show and this was a lot of fun. Overall I absolutely loved singing it was one of the highlights of my trip so far.
Issy We got to experience some traditional tribal food- gizzards, worms, chickens feet and more!
On the 10th of October we arrived at the constitution hill prison where Nelson Mandela stayed for a period of his prison sentence. Our tour guide gave us wrist bands and showed us around the prison telling us about its past. We were shown features of the prison such as the toilets which were were in short supply for the thousands of people’s who stayed there. Then we were told about how the prisoners were forced to be stripped and jump in front of the guards to check if they were carrying things in certain places after being sent out on labour duties. After that we were shown the cells during the thunder and rain. Next we were shown different cells which held many people around 60 inmates. To finish off the we were shown different stories of people’s arrests. The surprising fact about the prison was that people were held in the same areas for simple things such as not having their pass on them whereas there were more extreme cases of crimes like murder. Overall the prison was an eye opening experience as the people who were in there were treated so poorly. Callum We also visited the prison in Johannesburg where Nelson Mandela was held. We learned about the oppression and disgusting conditions non-whites suffered.
Matseliso Students shared lots of African songs with us. When we were asked to return the favour Iwan and Lew led some football chants and Ailsa taught them some Jessie J!!! |
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October 2019
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