Erin's Experience

Howzit from South Africa. Over this whole trip, I have I encountered countless experiences and made memories to last a lifetime. Often I think people picture South Africa all as a barren desert with wildlife and huts everywhere, but that is only half true. In South Africa, there are cities, just like St. Louis, with stores and many fast food places of their own. Yes, there are parts of South Africa where people are living in huts with no heating or air conditioning, but there is so much more than that. South Africa is amazing and has many big cities such as Sandton City.


This weekend, I went to Sun City, a resort about 2 hours away from Joburg. Most of our time there was spent in Pilanesberg National Park where we drove around by ourselves and also went on a game drive. We were able to see 3 out of the Big 5: rhino, elephants, and buffalo. Unfortunately, I never was able to spot a lion or leopard, even though we spent over six hours in Pilanesberg. There is a water park similar to six flags called the “Valley of the Waves” where we spent the day relaxing and going on thrilling slides. I also traveled to an elephant encounter and was able to feed, pet, and walk with an elephant, trunk in hand. It’s very true that elephants are “friendly giants” and it was not even scary to me one bit when I stood side by side one; one even kissed me on the cheek. 

Throughout the whole time I have been with my host family, I have grown very close to them and their five dogs. I have experienced many cuisines such as biltong, koeksisters, rusks, springbok carpaccio, green creme soda, lamb, malva pudding, and pap. I also picked up some slang such as shame, braai, joll, robot, hectic, and somehow there is a difference between now, now now, and just now. Also, everyone can just understand when they are talking about chips like chips or chips as in fries. They thought it was funny I couldn’t figure out which kind of chips they were talking about. All in all this has been a wonderful experience and I am saddened by the fact there is only two days left. My time here in South Africa is amazing and I hope one day, I can return on my own.

Lauren's Experience

This morning we made a trip to St. Ursula’s school. There they gave us a tour of their school and showed us what their school has to offer. From grades 8 to 12 they have all sorts of classes to offer, including math, business, sciences, and English. 

After the tour, which was given by students, they took us to Maropeng. This is the site where they believe the first humans lived.

 We did this amazing boat ride that took us through all four elements: air, water, fire, and earth. For water they had a waterfall of water shooting down from the ceiling. To show fire they had a bunch of fake fires sprouting from the sides and ground. 

After this we walked through the museum. We saw a replica of “Mrs. Ples”, which is the best example of an adult Australopithecus ever discovered. We then watched a video on how the continents have evolved over time, and learned what happened to the super-continent Pangaea. 

We also saw Lucy, which is the most well-known hominid skeleton in the world. She was founded by Dr. Donald Johanson and his team in Ethiopia. 

After seeing Lucy, we watched a lady remove fossilized bone from rock, which was very interesting. 

The last thing we saw were the bones they have from an early human. After this we went back to St.Ursula’s for lunch, which was a mixture of fruits, vegetables, and salad. We then attended an assembly where they voted for their class representatives and sang for us. Brescia House hosted a dinner for all the girls and families. We gathered with teachers from Brescia House and St. Ursula’s school. After a delicious dinner, we had a final prayer to wrap up the ceremony.

 

Lucy's Experience

September 8-9 

Hallo from Johannesburg, South Africa! I can’t even put into words how much this trip has changed my perspective on culture. I came into this trip not knowing very much about the country, but from what I have seen it has made me take a step back and examine everything a bit more. I find some things in their country a little odd to me. One thing that I find confusing is how they drive on the other side of the road. It is sort of cool to look around at the roads and highways to see the ways that they travel. When I was around them, I noticed that they were speaking in German which is very unusual in South Africa. A lot of words and phrases are different here. For example, chips are called crisps, cookies are called biscuits, traffic lights are called robots, elevators are called lifts, bathrooms are called toilets, and a trunk of a car is called a boot. My host family also loves to use the words ‘shame’ and quite. They tend to just say the word ‘shame’ after they hear something horrible or sometimes they might use the phrase, “Oh what a shame!”. In almost every sentence, my host sister would say the word ‘quite’ and we both laugh and bond over that. I am adapting to their culture because I have even found myself saying ‘shame’ and ‘quite’ on my own!

This weekend I have done a lot of exploring! On Saturday my host family took me to the Lion and Safari Park. There, I got to see countless animals from hyenas to giraffes that were 100 feet away! After we went through all of the animal enclosures, we got the chance to pet baby lions. That was by far one of my favorite things that I have ever done! Just being able to be that close to them was really a chance of a lifetime. On Sunday we went to the Farmer’s market for brunch. It was very interesting to see all of the different kinds of food that they have. I wasn’t expecting South Africa to have as many ethnic food choices, but boy I was wrong! After a quick stop at the Farmer’s market, we headed over to the Crocodile Park. We got to see many crocodiles there, but I was very surprised that there weren’t that many in the water. I also got to witness the feeding of the crocodiles. The last time they fed them was the second week of May! My host sister and I also took on the challenge of going zip lining over the crocodile exhibit. I have to say that I was very scared at first, but looking back it wasn’t that big of a deal. We went to a show there and I got to hold a baby alligator, a small corn snake, and a huge anaconda snake!

I definitely went out of my comfort zone this weekend because snakes are something that i have always been very terrified of. St. Angela has a quote that states, “ You need not be anxious if you do your best” I think this quotes speaks great volumes for me on this trip. Although I may be anxious at times, St. Angela always brings me back.

 

Molly's Experience

Being able to have the opportunity to be a host student has been one of the best experiences I have had. I got the chance to host Aashna. She was a kind, outgoing girl who I had so much fun getting to know. While her time here was way too short, we had great memories that I will never forget. From going to the Arch to the City Museum to seeing Lion King at the Fox to the baseball game to all of the food we ate, we truly became great friends and had many laughs. This experiences has taught me so much, not only about myself, but also about South Africa and their culture. One of my favorite parts was just being able to talk to Aashna and the rest of the South African students about the similarities and differences between the US and South Africa. Over the time Aashna was here, we became very close. I already miss her and all of the other students so much. Hopefully I can make a trip to South Africa soon!!:)

Rebecca's Experience

This has been one of the best experiences I have had at Ursuline. I was hosting Mbali, and we had been texting for a couple months before she got here and we were already close friends when she arrived. Mbali and I got to do so many things in St. Louis, such as the Zoo, the Art Museum, we went to the Loop, the Chesterfield Valley and more. But no matter what we were doing we were always laughing and having fun. The trip was so short for them but I know for me I have enough memories to last a lifetime. By the end of the trip Mbali and I were already planning when I should come visit her in South Africa.

Caitlyn's Experience

I was so happy to get the chance to host Jade! I knew nothing about South Africa and couldn't imagine what it would be like to host her. I anxiously waited for the day she would arrive but as soon as we met at the airport we immediately became friends. I knew then that this week would be amazing. She was so fun to be around and I learned so much about her and where she is from. Jade helped me open my eyes to other cultures and explained some of the differences we have such as words and proportion sizes! I loved hosting her and miss her already along with all the others I got to meet. I hope we stay in touch and I get to visit her soon in South Africa.


Although their trip was short we got to do lots of things. We went to the cardinals game, Ted Drewes, Forest park, the zoo, Lumiere park, the Snow Factory, Fitz's, Crushed Red and the mall. However, my favorite times were when we would sit in our room and just talk about our lives together and laugh at each other's accents. We would compare our schools, boys, and friends and we were able to become very close. She was no longer just a host student that I only knew from snapchat and Instagram, but became my sister for a week. I will forever remember this week and cherish our memories. I hope to do this again soon because my family and I loved having Jade stay with us!

Katie's Experience

Wow…they say time flies when you’re having fun. From the moment we picked up our new friends from the airport, to the morning we dropped them back off, our days were filled completely. We were able to see so many fun things around St. Louis...and for me and Dimpho Kansas City too!!

To describe our trip in one word… FOOD. Apparently Americans eat SO much food?? And our portions are huge?! Who knew??? At the many food places we visited, such as Imo’s, Zias, Andy's, Ted Drewes, Mom’s Deli, Gate’s BBQ, and so many more….they were beyond surprised by our portions. I also realized that they are so good at trying new things...at every restaurant they were not afraid to order something new and try so many new foods.

This was such an amazing week, and I am so grateful that I was able to experience something like this. We bonded so much in the short time that we had together and did so many fun things while she was here. It’s amazing that we could become such good friends in just 7 short days.

Maureen's Experience

I have heard the quote, “We don’t meet people by accident. They are meant to cross our path for a reason.” I think this quote exemplifies the how I feel about the bringing of Kelly and the rest of the South African students into my life. Hosting a student from South Africa has taught me many amazing things. It has taught me that the Fourth of July is ONLY an American holiday, many facts about living in their country, the food they eat, the words they say, and so much more. I was so blessed to be picked to host Kelly for the past week. 

When they arrived, I had yet to talk to her or hear her voice. We texted but never actually talked. The awkward beginning was inevitable yet so exciting. As soon as they came up I saw Kelly and was jumping up and down (good first impression, I know). I was ready to wear her out and she was up for it which made this week very exciting. The first day we went to the Cardinals game and Blues game. It was a lot after a 17+ hour plane ride but I wanted her to get the full St. Louis experience. Needless to say, we went to bed before eight o’clock the next night. The rest of the trip we hung out with friends, ate, shopped, and ate some more. I got to show Kelly the place I live and my favorite things to do here. 

One moment in particular that stuck out to me was going on a picnic in Forest Park. There was a lot of traffic that day and we were having a hard time finding a parking spot, soon enough we found one. As we walked to Art Hill our stomachs growled and minds raced about the anticipation of the sandwiches we would soon devour. Once we got there, it was exactly like I had hoped. A beautiful sight, with an amazing new friend, eating wonderfully delicious food. This was one of my favorite memories with Kelly, besides all of the many times she fell asleep in the seat of my car. I felt so fortunate to get to know Kelly and learn more about her culture. When it was time to say goodbye, we had a hard time. Many hugs and tears (@my mom) later, it was time for Kelly to leave. I grew close to her over the span of those days and was heartbroken to see her go. Overall this was an amazing experience and I was so blessed that I got to know such a kind, open, fun, and wonderful person like her.

Natalie's Experience

I am so thankful to have been a part of the Global Ed program this year. Hosting a South African student was really interesting. Avril and I did a lot of fun things, like the Zoo, Forest Park, we went to a baseball game etc., but my favorite memory of her trip was when we went to Ted Drewes. She got an Oreo concrete and when they turned it upside down she was in shock. She couldn't figure out how her ice cream stayed in its cup! She didn't believe me when I told her about it on the way there and when she saw it happen, she was at a loss for words. It's kinda funny how something so normal for me is so strange for her and the rest of the students!

Madison's Experience

My sister, Paige, and I both hosted Chantal Millemann.

My personal experience with her was definitely something I will never forget! I enjoyed getting to know her, and learning about her daily life back in France. One thing that I learned from my experience with Chantal was, when we would go to the mall or out with some of my friends, she would dress up. Whereas I would just dress casually and never would have thought to dress up just to go to the mall or hang out with friends.

One of my favorite experiences that I’ll treasure was when Chantal cooked dinner for my family and I one night. I really enjoyed learning about the food that she ate, and learned about the different foods from the different cultures she lived in. I could really tell that cooking was something that she truly enjoyed and shined at. Chantal has been so many places, and I hope that I someday that I will be able to go visit her!

We also went to the boathouse, and went back to the zoo. She loved exploring the outdoors and enjoyed the nice weather that we had for most of her time while she was staying with us.


It definitely took a bit longer for Chantal to open up, but once she did I really got to see the awesome and unique girl she truly is. I will always be thankful for this very special experience!

Madison Kreher, '16

Katie's Experience

I had such an incredible experience meeting and bonding with my French student Mia. She has influenced me in an uncountable number of ways, and taught me so much about her culture and her daily life. We shared our childhood stories and discovered a deeper connection with each other, and from this day on I will forever call her ma soeur (my sister). Mia was such a joy to be around and
brought a positive attitude and influence on me and on my family. We did everything from scarfing down food from America's best fast food joints, to shopping almost all day, and just staying up late talking and watching the best American films. I will never forget my life changing experience with my french student. I hope to go to France my senior year, and reunite with her and her family. I am truly grateful for this opportunity and this wonderful experience. My favorite part was when I would try and speak French and every single time Mia would correct me, but, every time Mia would speak English I would correct her and we both ended up learning so much! Lastly, it was such a blessing to have met the coolest 12 French students from France ever! They were all so filled with kindness and joy, and I feel now after knowing them, I am truly a happier better person!

-Katie Antonacci, '18