The Calm Before the Storm...

So after finally flying out of Heathrow at (a delayed) 21:30 on the 23rd, enduring a sleepless 11 hour flight at the pleasure of Virgin Atlantic, I have arrived safely in South Africa and made it all the way to my guesthouse in Johannesburg.

I'm now one hour in front of the UK, and I've been awake for the last 36 hours... so I'll keep this brief. It may only be half 7, but I am going to bed!!

Upon arriving in Jo'burg with the rest of the Warwick in Africa volunteers, we all went out for a traditional lunch and met up with some of the teacher's we will be working alongside over the next 5 weeks. We were also introduced to a couple of BBC cameramen who will be making a short documentary on the work we are doing in South Africa (more on that at a later date).

Then it was time to for my group of 10 volunteers to travel to our guesthouse (which has greatly exceeded ALL of my expectations... it is amazing!) which briefly comprises of two huge lounge areas, a private suite for the 3 girls, several twins for the boys and an en suite single for me! There is also a swimming pool (though the water appears to have been sourced from the arctic...!), a lovely patio area, and it is all surrounded by a 12ft+ security wall that Tango and Cash would do well to breach!

Indeed the accommodation is very secure, it is just a shame that it is a necessity; such is Africa.

So tomorrow is when it all begins... and I honestly have no idea what to expect...

I will travel out of Jo'burg into the township of Alexandra, the poverty increasing with every mile, until I reach my school... then I will be thrown in the deep end! I could be teaching anything... any topic, (possibly any subject!), to classes of an unquantified size without the wealth of resources and facilities we are blessed with back home. I'm given no knowledge of my classes ability, I need to figure that out as I go along... but my biggest challenge may initially be just getting the pupils to talk to me... "Who is this crazy white man standing in our classroom?" Breaking down that initial barrier may be the biggest challenge of all.

It is a sad legacy of the apartheid system which even today still accounts for the massive racial segregation found in the poverty stricken townships. Things may slowly be improving, though I am nothing but a small cog in that wheel of change.

Jx