By Arya Pindiprolu. One of the concepts in South Africa that fascinated me was Unbuntu. Unbuntu means “I am because you are.” This concept fascinates me because in the U.S.A. we are a very individualistic society, while South Africa is a very collectivist society. The Hector Peterson Memorial reflects this idea. A young man named Read more about Umbuntu: A Concept We Could All Consider[…]
By Mandela Namaste. The other day we took a trip to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned. Robben Island was the prison designated for political prisoners – particularly those who opposed apartheid. On the way to the island, we enjoyed incredible, breathtaking views of the Cape Town skyline, Table Mountain, and the surrounding areas. Read more about Robben Island: Personally Powerful for Me.[…]
By Amy Reynolds-Namaste. If I had to choose one word to describe this trip, it would be JOY! The excitement built slowly as we entered the country and the joy was first evident when we performed with the African youth at Buskaid Soweto Strings for a musical exchange. That collaboration was the pure representation of joy Read more about Joy![…]
By Julia Anderson. Today was our last full day in Cape Town. We spent most of the day traveling the island through a chain of sights. This included a boat trip to see seals on an island, a ride up the Flying Dutchman to see a nature reserve, then to a beach to see the Read more about Last Night[…]
By Elizabeth Sam. Yesterday we went to a singing workshop with other Suzuki violin students from the Eastern Cape of South Africa and a group of singers from a local high school. It was an Amazing Experience! We walked in not knowing what to expect and walked out with huge smiles and a multitude of Read more about Singing with New Friends[…]
By Philomena Vennari. Tonight we went to the Gold Resturant for a farewell dinner. The food was about as exotic as you can get. We ate ostrich and other creepy delicacies. While we were eating, a group of dancers and singers performed for us. Meanwhile we all got our faces painted. The dancers were fantastic Read more about Farewell Dinner[…]
By Ashley Kim & Maja Neal. On April 9th, we went to visit the famous prisons on Robben Island. It was very special because Robben Island was where Nelson Mandela was held for 17 years of his life. Another thing that was really interesting was that the man guiding us around the prison was an Read more about The Famous Robben Island[…]
Editor’s note: this message is from Marlene Harrington, longtime BSS piano accompanist, and veteran BSS Tour Staff. We are thrilled she was able to join us on this tour and so are the students, especially the four soloists. By Marlene Harrington. I am so glad I made the decision to come on this South African Read more about Enlightening and Awesome[…]
Hi everyone- You may have noticed that we have been posting only text blogs the past couple of days, with no pictures or video. Unfortunately, this is due to very poor internet service in our hotel. The wifi barely works in our rooms, and even when we connect in the lobby we have not been Read more about Cape Town: awesome experiences, challenging WiFi[…]
Editor’s Note: this post if from Mary Cay. It is written especially for Nicolette Solomon, a fellow Suzuki Teacher, originally from South Africa but now living in the U.S. Of course, we are all invited to read and enjoy too. By Mary Cay Neal. Hello From South Africa, Nicolette! We are having a wonderful Read more about Hello From South Africa, Nicolette![…]
