Flight and Jo'burg day 1

Well the trip started off unfortunately eventful!!

We managed to get to the airport in good time, but the luggage line was crazy slow and I needed to go through it twice because my big bag was 16 pounds too heavy. So, I unpacked and repacked my bags in the middle of the restaurant we were eating lunch in. It was really great! HaHa but it worked out ok, and in the end I checked a 51 pound bag (I was one pound over but they didn't charge me!) and another 40 pound bag!

After that things went smoothly, my parents left and I went through security and met up with the rest of the group. We all hung out until we boarded the plane, and then we all went to sleep. I slept for the first six hours and last six hours, so I was only awake for the middle four hours and an hour stopover in Senegal (which was cool until we got sprayed with smelly anti-swine flu stuff)!! Also, the kosher food on the airplane was the best kosher food I've ever eaten on a plane!! And they accidentally ordered kosher food for the whole group, whoops!

Other than that, uneventful 16 hour ride to Jo'burg, and then I was jet lagged wide awake all night last night! 

But I somehow managed to get through the day today, where we had a brief overview of the history of apartheid South Africa, a tour of SOWETO (south western township of Jo'burg), Regina Mundi Church, Kliptown, and a mall!!

So, if you want a little history lesson I'll give a quick explanation of what I saw (promise to post pictures soon!) and what we learned!

Basically in 1652 a dutch guy came to capetown and really liked it, so he stayed and brought more friends along for a vacation, and then they stayed to make money in the good weather. And they liked it so much they never left. Then britain and the afrikaaners fought over South Africa (they realized there was gold in jo'burg)- so in the end, in 1910 they reached an agreement and they jointly controlled the Union of South Africa- Until 1948 when power was given to Afrikaaners. Then the National party took power and formed a system of institutionalized racism, apartheid. 

They required Africans to carry passbooks, get stamps to prove they were employed, enforced a curfew, and required them to live in randomly pre-designated "tribal homelands" that they often times had little or no connection to. The "tribal homelands" and passbook laws enabled he police force to separate families, as only males with jobs in the cities were allowed to reside in or around the cities in designated areas. In the 1950's the government increased the forceful removal of Africans from their homes, which enraged them enough to organize and protest. Then in 1960 there was a marched organized by women in sharpeville, and as a result the government banned organizations such as the African National Congress. 

Then in 1973 a law was passed that would force all schools to teach their students in Afrikaans rather than in their Tribal langauges. This was the cause of 1976 SOWETO student uprisings. During this uprising a boy named Hector Peterson was killed (will write more tomorrow when we meet his sister at the Hector Petersand on Museum) It was his death that helped to spread the student uprisings to other townships accross South Africa. The struggle between Africans and the apartheid system continued, and Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu campaigned for sanctions against South Africa to help abolish Apartheid. 

In 1990 negotiations took place between the National Party and the ANC, and the first free and fair elections were held, and the ANC representative Nelson Mandela was elected as President. To try to create a new peaceful and just society the Truth and Reconciliation Committee was created. Essentially those who committed crimes during apartheid were granted amnesty if they admitted the full extent of their crimes to give closure to those who were effected.

After this history lesson we went to SOWETO - the south west township of Jo'burg- where Africans were allowed to live during apartheid, and is still predominantly african. Here, and in the Kliptown settlement we saw the reality of the post apartheid era. Our tour was guided by two residence of Kliptown, and they showed us the unfulfilled promises of the ANC. There are many shacks made of corrugated tin roofing materials, and they were not connected to sewage, running water, or electricity.

Then we went to Regina Mundi (Queen of The World)- a Catholic church where many ANC uprisings were planned. 

Going to Kliptown was an amazing experience. It was eye opening to see the way people live there, and how long they have been trying to get better living conditions from the government to no avail- Especially since there were power lines running around the settlement that provides power to other areas. 

Everyone was so friendly and nice to us, they let us take pictures of them, their houses, stores, stalls, taverns etc. I learned a lot about Black South Africans views of white South Africans, and how they perceive white South Africans views of them. 

Anyway I'll add photos either tonight or tomorrow tonight! Sorry this was so long, hope it wasn't too boring!