When we moved here the kids were 5, 7 and 10.
We were told that, in all probability, they would all pick up an accent to some degree, but the most influenced would be our 5 year old.
One of the things that we noticed was the use of the expression "Jagh" Only the "J" is like a "Y" sound. I would compare it to myself using "really" or "seriously" when something needs special emphasis or when someone says something unbelievable. Where my "really" or "seriously" would be higher pitched and shortish, sounding like a question, the "Yawh" is a very breathy, deep and loud exclamation.
We were sitting at the kitchen table one day several months ago, eating dinner. Either B or T, I can't recall, said something outrageous and out of the mouth of our little 5 year old came a loud, deep, breathy "Jagh". It was so unexpected and so strange to hear from our little girl, dh and I looked up at each other and burst out laughing. A was not impressed with our laughter. In fact she clammed up, wouldn't speak and glared at us for a good long while.
Now, I know that you should never laugh at your children. In fact, there have been many a time when I have, almost literally, bust my gut from successfully holding in my laughter when one of the kids did something funny. This was just not one of those times.
Dd censored her comments for weeks after that incident. Until just recently, actually. She has started saying "Jagh" again and "Oh my word" is a phrase we here quite often. I know when she enters grade one in January and they start teaching her the "proper" pronunciation of phonics and words, her speech will change even more.
So as we think about heading home for the holidays I implore those of you who will see us, to please contain your laughter when our children say something unexpected or strange. We learned the hard way that it's no laughing matter.
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Saturday 26 November 2011
Spring has sprung
I love spring. Always have. The way the crocus poke up through the snow. The way the rabbits used to eat all my tulip leaves, a centimeter at a time, as they pushed their way through the still frozen ground.
Each spring from the time I was a little girl we had a saying in our home.
Spring has sprung
The grass has riz
I wonder where
The birdies is
We left Canada just as spring was starting and arrived to fall in Port Elizabeth. The leaves had fallen off the deciduous trees, the grass was browning and the birds were migrating north. Yup, it's weird to say, but the birds migrate north from here. I missed spring and I'm glad it's finally here. Spring, like everything else here is different. There are no daffodils or tulips or crocus. It doesn't get cold enough over the winter for them to flower. Here they have daisies in the spring and road construction crews. You'd think, with the weather not going below about 14C, that they would work year round. Nope. Spring weather here, means construction just like in Canada.
Spring in our neighbourhood also means the wildlife are "twitterpated" as Thumper would say. The nyala had a fawn about a month ago, but they are very shy and I never got a picture of it when it was really young. Yesterday, as I was driving out of the subdivision I saw a baby impala. I only had my phone on me so the photo's not great, but here it is.
It was all legs, as you can see, and not too steady on them yet. The neighbour texted me this afternoon to tell me that an impala fawn had been born. I texted back that I had seen one and asked if there were more. She said no just the one that I had seen, but she told me that we could expect another 7 babies in the next week or so. Silly me, I stopped counting at three pregnant impala's and figured I was just seeing the same ones over and over again. Obviously not.
So things are busy here in the spring. My camera is getting a workout trying to capture all of the different and exciting things that I've seen. I'm glad spring has finally sprung, that the grass has riz and if you stay tuned and I'll even tell you where the birdies is.
Each spring from the time I was a little girl we had a saying in our home.
Spring has sprung
The grass has riz
I wonder where
The birdies is
We left Canada just as spring was starting and arrived to fall in Port Elizabeth. The leaves had fallen off the deciduous trees, the grass was browning and the birds were migrating north. Yup, it's weird to say, but the birds migrate north from here. I missed spring and I'm glad it's finally here. Spring, like everything else here is different. There are no daffodils or tulips or crocus. It doesn't get cold enough over the winter for them to flower. Here they have daisies in the spring and road construction crews. You'd think, with the weather not going below about 14C, that they would work year round. Nope. Spring weather here, means construction just like in Canada.
Spring in our neighbourhood also means the wildlife are "twitterpated" as Thumper would say. The nyala had a fawn about a month ago, but they are very shy and I never got a picture of it when it was really young. Yesterday, as I was driving out of the subdivision I saw a baby impala. I only had my phone on me so the photo's not great, but here it is.
It was all legs, as you can see, and not too steady on them yet. The neighbour texted me this afternoon to tell me that an impala fawn had been born. I texted back that I had seen one and asked if there were more. She said no just the one that I had seen, but she told me that we could expect another 7 babies in the next week or so. Silly me, I stopped counting at three pregnant impala's and figured I was just seeing the same ones over and over again. Obviously not.
So things are busy here in the spring. My camera is getting a workout trying to capture all of the different and exciting things that I've seen. I'm glad spring has finally sprung, that the grass has riz and if you stay tuned and I'll even tell you where the birdies is.
Monday 14 November 2011
Getting here
We have had the opportunity to fly internationally a few times with our children.
The first time was in 2003 just after my brother and his family moved to Switzerland. T was an only child and 20 months at the time. So, it was 2 adults, 1 child, 2 flights. Good odds. Great experience.
We did the trip to Switzerland again several years later. We tagged along with mom and dad that time, but we had 2 more children by then. A was 2 years old, B just turned 4 and T 6. Still 4 adults, 3 kids, 2 flights are still pretty good odds. The flights were tiring, but we made it to and from Switzerland without incident . P had booked separately from the rest of us and was upgraded on the way back so each of the adults took turns in the quiet seat which helped.
The first trip to look and see Port Elizabeth, T got to come with us. He had just turned 10. Again, good odds, 2 adults, 1 kid, but there are 3 flights to get to Port Elizabeth and total travel time, not including the check in time at the airport in Toronto was 36 hours. That's a long time. Still the odds were good. The trip started out with a blip at security in Toronto when the scanner picked up an unidentified metal object in one of the carry ons. We were perplexed and after a very thorough search it turned out that a metal pencil sharpener, shaped like a cannon, had wedged itself into the lining of the carry on. Not sure how that happened, but we had a good laugh with the security personal after they finally found it. Other than some boredom on the long layovers in London and
Johannesburg, and 5 out of 6 flights having minor delays on the tarmac, it was a good trip.
After all of these positive experiences I reasoned that another international trip would be a breeze. We'd done it before. We realized that the 36 hours, 2 overnight flights and long layovers might be a little bit tough on the younger 2 children, so we opted to fly through the U.S rather than Europe when we moved here. It was still 3 planes but the first and last flights were around 2 hours and the middle flight, though longer, meant only one sleep on a plane. I rationalized that a 15 hour flight meant more time to sleep after the take off, safety and meals at the beginning. Somehow, that 6 1/2 hours from Toronto to London Heathrow only netted about 4 good hours of sleep time and that just wasn't enough. Total travel time flying through the U.S. not including check in time in Toronto 22 hours. Yeah!
Now, had we been packing for a visit, I would have managed with 2 or 3 suitcases tops. This time however we were moving our lives. I knew that we were arriving late at night and we were going straight to our new rental home, which was completely empty. We asked P's company to help us source a king sized mattress for P and I and some bar chairs for the breakfast bar prior to our arrival. Still, I needed some place for the kids to sleep and something to eat for our first morning there. We needed clothes for several days, food prep stuff until our air shipment arrived and things for the kids to do until our sea shipment was scheduled to arrive some 6 weeks later. I also needed bowls and toys for the dog who left 2 days before we did and would arrive the day after. In the end we were 2 adults, 3 children, 5 carry ons, 10 full sized (max. weight) suitcases, one car seat and one booster seat. I was optimistic, but the odds were not looking good.
It took a bus to get us to the airport, and no, I am not exaggerating. It was an actual bus. Mom and dad followed behind in their car to see us off. We were arriving in plenty of time to check in and have lunch together before we went through security.
We arrived at the airport, got all of our bags on carts with help from mom and dad and the bus driver. We checked in, got our boarding passes for Toronto and Atlanta, and got our baggage claim tickets. The first time we flew to PE the bags flew straight through with us. This was a different route and a different airline so I was paranoid that P and I would need to retrieve our mountain of bags, all by ourselves, at some point before PE. I probably should have asked that question sooner than at the check in counter, but ask I did. 4 times. Yes, the bags were checked through, baggage claim tickets said so. Phewwww, we were good to go.
Glitch number 1. Flying through the states meant that immediately after checking in we would need to go through U.S. customs and we were considered to be on U.S. soil. Great, because we wouldn't need to waste time at customs in Atlanta, but it meant no lunch with mom and dad and our goodbye's were cut short at the check in counter. I wish I had known that there would be no time for a leisurely goodbye. Would it have changed the way we flew? No, but it would have changed how we had done things at home before we left for the airport.
The wait at the airport was uneventful. The kids had each been given a new toy specifically for the trip. They explored the various activities, books, snacks and fun stuff that I had packed to keep them occupied and the time at the airport went fairly quickly.
We boarded the flight to Atlanta on time. Carry ons
Glitch number 2. T is sitting beside me and bends down to retrieve his headphones which he had removed for take off. As he was returning to an upright position he accidentally dump his entire glass of juice directly into my lap. So, 30 min. into our 22 hour travel itinerary I am soaked through, pants, underwear and all. Sigh. In my planning I have ensured that I packed PJ's and an extra set of clothes for the children. Unfortunately, I was not insightful enough to pack an additional pair of underwear for me. Part of me started thinking that having to retrieve our luggage in Atlanta would have been a good thing. Anyway, off to the washroom I went to try and salvage the situation. We're 35,000 feet up and my choices are limited. Choice number one. Strip off all the wet stuff, put on the dry PJ pants that I did bring with me and go commando for the rest of the journey. Not a chance. Choice number 2, try to dry off the pants and underwear using the toilet paper in the bathroom and make do. I preferred not. I was left with choice number three. Take off the wet pants, dry off the underwear as best I could, put on the pants and shove them full of toilet paper so they didn't get wet too.
By the time we arrived in Atlanta the toilet paper had done it's job and been discarded, but I was determined to find underwear in the airport in Atlanta. Unfortunately, with a short connection time and a gate a zillion miles away, new underwear was not to be had.
I made do as we checked onto our flight to Johannesburg. Thankfully, the flight was on time and uneventful. We had made the right decision. After the initial take off, safety, and food stuff it was lights out and time to sleep. The kids all eventually fell fast asleep and I'd guess had 8-10 hours of sleep each. P slept better than I, but I still managed 5 hours or so which is pretty good for me. By the time we arrived in Johannesburg everyone was bright eyed and bushy tailed. We landed a bit late and knew we wouldn't have much time to catch our flight to PE. We got through customs as quickly as the cue would allow and headed for the check in counter.
Glitch number 3. We arrived at the check in counter and the attendant asked where our luggage was. I confidently told him it was on the way to PE. Then I showed him the baggage claim tickets that said Port Elizabeth on them. Apparently the attendant in Toronto had been mistaken, our luggage was only checked to Johannesburg and was enjoying a lengthy ride on the carousel in the arrivals section. Can you say panic? T started to say over and over again, "we're going to miss our plane". The next hour passed by in a blur of P and I trying to keep it together while attempting to catch what was the last flight to PE that night. A lovely gentleman had been standing near the check in counter and heard our plight. As we wandered away from the desk completely frazzled he offered to help locate airport staff to assist us. It took what seemed like hours and we were just about to give up on him and head back to arrivals ourselves, when he showed up with airport staff in tow. Together the 7 of us rushed back to arrivals. The airport staff took us through staff security, all the while scolding us that we should only ask airport personnel with ID for help. The furthest thing from my mind when we were speaking with the gentleman at the check in counter was if he was airport staff or not. He offered to help and we needed it. We found our bags and he grabbed another airport staff to help. The bags were easy to find as they were the only ones left on the carousel and we threw them all on 4 carts. Quickly, through security again, our first helper joined us as we left arrivals and he raced with us back to check in where they let us skip the cue so we could make the flight. P gave the non-airport staff helper a tip and we were rushed again through another staff security clearance and the airport staff saw us all the way to the gate. P tipped him and we thanked him profusely for all his help. I have never in all my life been so full of adrenaline as I was during that hour at the Johannesburg airport.
We made the plane, but we were very concerned that the luggage might not have, given the rush. The luggage had the inflatable mattresses that the kids were supposed to sleep on, car seats to get us home, and everything else but the kitchen sink. The flight was uneventful, but I couldn't shake the feeling that my kids weren't going to have a place to sleep tonight. At least the Garmin was in my carry on with directions to the house already programmed in, so even if we didn't have bags at least we'd get home.
Upon arrival in PE, as excited as we were, I think we had all had enough. We just wanted to get into the rental "bus" and get home. Thankfully, the luggage did make it onto the plane, a potential glitch averted.
Glitch number four. We arrive at the car rental to find that the mini van was a manual transmission. An automatic mini bus could not be had in PE apparently. The first car I ever bought was a manual transmission. I had never driven one, but I was a recent grad, manual was cheaper and man did I ever think I was cooooooool driving my 1994 metallic purple Chevy Z24 Cavalier with a stick shift. When P and I got married I still had the purple Cavalier and at least one of our cars since then has been manual. So, it shouldn't have been a problem, right? Well after 22+ hours of travel, a major glitch in Johannesburg, driving on the wrong side of the road and having to manoeuvre the stick with the left hand it proved to be interesting getting out of the airport parking lot. Several false starts and stalls later we made it out of the parking lot and home.
A second potential glitch was averted when we ran out of room for the luggage in the rental van. Thankfully, P's boss had shown up at the airport to welcome us and he was able to take the bags that didn't fit in the van. He also let us follow him home, so even if we hadn't had the Garmin we still would have made it.
If you're thinking that the first thing I did when we got home was to go and change, you're wrong. By that time I had totally forgotten about the spilled juice. It was late and more important to get the air mattresses unpacked and made up for the kids. I had to unpack sheets and make P's and my bed. I think I did manage a shower before I finally fell into bed, but I'm honestly not 100% on that.
As it turned out P's bosses wife had considered that we were moving into an empty house so she filled the cupboards with 5 of everything we would need to eat with. There were some staples in the pantry and fridge, so we would have something for breakfast and there was even instant coffee for P and I.
I can honestly say that after that flight experience I was really glad that we were staying for a good long while before I would have to do it again.
So, what will I do differently on the return trip when we visit in a few weeks? Just 2 things. Pack less than 10 bags, 5 carry ons and 2 cars seats and yes, take an extra pair of underwear, just in case.
The first time was in 2003 just after my brother and his family moved to Switzerland. T was an only child and 20 months at the time. So, it was 2 adults, 1 child, 2 flights. Good odds. Great experience.
We did the trip to Switzerland again several years later. We tagged along with mom and dad that time, but we had 2 more children by then. A was 2 years old, B just turned 4 and T 6. Still 4 adults, 3 kids, 2 flights are still pretty good odds. The flights were tiring, but we made it to and from Switzerland without incident . P had booked separately from the rest of us and was upgraded on the way back so each of the adults took turns in the quiet seat which helped.
The first trip to look and see Port Elizabeth, T got to come with us. He had just turned 10. Again, good odds, 2 adults, 1 kid, but there are 3 flights to get to Port Elizabeth and total travel time, not including the check in time at the airport in Toronto was 36 hours. That's a long time. Still the odds were good. The trip started out with a blip at security in Toronto when the scanner picked up an unidentified metal object in one of the carry ons. We were perplexed and after a very thorough search it turned out that a metal pencil sharpener, shaped like a cannon, had wedged itself into the lining of the carry on. Not sure how that happened, but we had a good laugh with the security personal after they finally found it. Other than some boredom on the long layovers in London and
Johannesburg, and 5 out of 6 flights having minor delays on the tarmac, it was a good trip.
After all of these positive experiences I reasoned that another international trip would be a breeze. We'd done it before. We realized that the 36 hours, 2 overnight flights and long layovers might be a little bit tough on the younger 2 children, so we opted to fly through the U.S rather than Europe when we moved here. It was still 3 planes but the first and last flights were around 2 hours and the middle flight, though longer, meant only one sleep on a plane. I rationalized that a 15 hour flight meant more time to sleep after the take off, safety and meals at the beginning. Somehow, that 6 1/2 hours from Toronto to London Heathrow only netted about 4 good hours of sleep time and that just wasn't enough. Total travel time flying through the U.S. not including check in time in Toronto 22 hours. Yeah!
Now, had we been packing for a visit, I would have managed with 2 or 3 suitcases tops. This time however we were moving our lives. I knew that we were arriving late at night and we were going straight to our new rental home, which was completely empty. We asked P's company to help us source a king sized mattress for P and I and some bar chairs for the breakfast bar prior to our arrival. Still, I needed some place for the kids to sleep and something to eat for our first morning there. We needed clothes for several days, food prep stuff until our air shipment arrived and things for the kids to do until our sea shipment was scheduled to arrive some 6 weeks later. I also needed bowls and toys for the dog who left 2 days before we did and would arrive the day after. In the end we were 2 adults, 3 children, 5 carry ons, 10 full sized (max. weight) suitcases, one car seat and one booster seat. I was optimistic, but the odds were not looking good.
It took a bus to get us to the airport, and no, I am not exaggerating. It was an actual bus. Mom and dad followed behind in their car to see us off. We were arriving in plenty of time to check in and have lunch together before we went through security.
We arrived at the airport, got all of our bags on carts with help from mom and dad and the bus driver. We checked in, got our boarding passes for Toronto and Atlanta, and got our baggage claim tickets. The first time we flew to PE the bags flew straight through with us. This was a different route and a different airline so I was paranoid that P and I would need to retrieve our mountain of bags, all by ourselves, at some point before PE. I probably should have asked that question sooner than at the check in counter, but ask I did. 4 times. Yes, the bags were checked through, baggage claim tickets said so. Phewwww, we were good to go.
Glitch number 1. Flying through the states meant that immediately after checking in we would need to go through U.S. customs and we were considered to be on U.S. soil. Great, because we wouldn't need to waste time at customs in Atlanta, but it meant no lunch with mom and dad and our goodbye's were cut short at the check in counter. I wish I had known that there would be no time for a leisurely goodbye. Would it have changed the way we flew? No, but it would have changed how we had done things at home before we left for the airport.
The wait at the airport was uneventful. The kids had each been given a new toy specifically for the trip. They explored the various activities, books, snacks and fun stuff that I had packed to keep them occupied and the time at the airport went fairly quickly.
We boarded the flight to Atlanta on time. Carry ons
Glitch number 2. T is sitting beside me and bends down to retrieve his headphones which he had removed for take off. As he was returning to an upright position he accidentally dump his entire glass of juice directly into my lap. So, 30 min. into our 22 hour travel itinerary I am soaked through, pants, underwear and all. Sigh. In my planning I have ensured that I packed PJ's and an extra set of clothes for the children. Unfortunately, I was not insightful enough to pack an additional pair of underwear for me. Part of me started thinking that having to retrieve our luggage in Atlanta would have been a good thing. Anyway, off to the washroom I went to try and salvage the situation. We're 35,000 feet up and my choices are limited. Choice number one. Strip off all the wet stuff, put on the dry PJ pants that I did bring with me and go commando for the rest of the journey. Not a chance. Choice number 2, try to dry off the pants and underwear using the toilet paper in the bathroom and make do. I preferred not. I was left with choice number three. Take off the wet pants, dry off the underwear as best I could, put on the pants and shove them full of toilet paper so they didn't get wet too.
By the time we arrived in Atlanta the toilet paper had done it's job and been discarded, but I was determined to find underwear in the airport in Atlanta. Unfortunately, with a short connection time and a gate a zillion miles away, new underwear was not to be had.
I made do as we checked onto our flight to Johannesburg. Thankfully, the flight was on time and uneventful. We had made the right decision. After the initial take off, safety, and food stuff it was lights out and time to sleep. The kids all eventually fell fast asleep and I'd guess had 8-10 hours of sleep each. P slept better than I, but I still managed 5 hours or so which is pretty good for me. By the time we arrived in Johannesburg everyone was bright eyed and bushy tailed. We landed a bit late and knew we wouldn't have much time to catch our flight to PE. We got through customs as quickly as the cue would allow and headed for the check in counter.
Glitch number 3. We arrived at the check in counter and the attendant asked where our luggage was. I confidently told him it was on the way to PE. Then I showed him the baggage claim tickets that said Port Elizabeth on them. Apparently the attendant in Toronto had been mistaken, our luggage was only checked to Johannesburg and was enjoying a lengthy ride on the carousel in the arrivals section. Can you say panic? T started to say over and over again, "we're going to miss our plane". The next hour passed by in a blur of P and I trying to keep it together while attempting to catch what was the last flight to PE that night. A lovely gentleman had been standing near the check in counter and heard our plight. As we wandered away from the desk completely frazzled he offered to help locate airport staff to assist us. It took what seemed like hours and we were just about to give up on him and head back to arrivals ourselves, when he showed up with airport staff in tow. Together the 7 of us rushed back to arrivals. The airport staff took us through staff security, all the while scolding us that we should only ask airport personnel with ID for help. The furthest thing from my mind when we were speaking with the gentleman at the check in counter was if he was airport staff or not. He offered to help and we needed it. We found our bags and he grabbed another airport staff to help. The bags were easy to find as they were the only ones left on the carousel and we threw them all on 4 carts. Quickly, through security again, our first helper joined us as we left arrivals and he raced with us back to check in where they let us skip the cue so we could make the flight. P gave the non-airport staff helper a tip and we were rushed again through another staff security clearance and the airport staff saw us all the way to the gate. P tipped him and we thanked him profusely for all his help. I have never in all my life been so full of adrenaline as I was during that hour at the Johannesburg airport.
We made the plane, but we were very concerned that the luggage might not have, given the rush. The luggage had the inflatable mattresses that the kids were supposed to sleep on, car seats to get us home, and everything else but the kitchen sink. The flight was uneventful, but I couldn't shake the feeling that my kids weren't going to have a place to sleep tonight. At least the Garmin was in my carry on with directions to the house already programmed in, so even if we didn't have bags at least we'd get home.
Upon arrival in PE, as excited as we were, I think we had all had enough. We just wanted to get into the rental "bus" and get home. Thankfully, the luggage did make it onto the plane, a potential glitch averted.
Glitch number four. We arrive at the car rental to find that the mini van was a manual transmission. An automatic mini bus could not be had in PE apparently. The first car I ever bought was a manual transmission. I had never driven one, but I was a recent grad, manual was cheaper and man did I ever think I was cooooooool driving my 1994 metallic purple Chevy Z24 Cavalier with a stick shift. When P and I got married I still had the purple Cavalier and at least one of our cars since then has been manual. So, it shouldn't have been a problem, right? Well after 22+ hours of travel, a major glitch in Johannesburg, driving on the wrong side of the road and having to manoeuvre the stick with the left hand it proved to be interesting getting out of the airport parking lot. Several false starts and stalls later we made it out of the parking lot and home.
A second potential glitch was averted when we ran out of room for the luggage in the rental van. Thankfully, P's boss had shown up at the airport to welcome us and he was able to take the bags that didn't fit in the van. He also let us follow him home, so even if we hadn't had the Garmin we still would have made it.
If you're thinking that the first thing I did when we got home was to go and change, you're wrong. By that time I had totally forgotten about the spilled juice. It was late and more important to get the air mattresses unpacked and made up for the kids. I had to unpack sheets and make P's and my bed. I think I did manage a shower before I finally fell into bed, but I'm honestly not 100% on that.
As it turned out P's bosses wife had considered that we were moving into an empty house so she filled the cupboards with 5 of everything we would need to eat with. There were some staples in the pantry and fridge, so we would have something for breakfast and there was even instant coffee for P and I.
I can honestly say that after that flight experience I was really glad that we were staying for a good long while before I would have to do it again.
So, what will I do differently on the return trip when we visit in a few weeks? Just 2 things. Pack less than 10 bags, 5 carry ons and 2 cars seats and yes, take an extra pair of underwear, just in case.
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Cubbing in South Africa
As I prepare for our first cub camp this weekend. I thought it was about time that I posted on the Cub Scout experience here in South Africa.
While the principles (Jungle Book) and organization (sixes) of Cubbing are the same as in Canada, the design of the program is quite different.
In South Africa, Cub Scouts is a co-ed group for children ages 7 - 11. Only cubs 8 years and older can go to camps.
Since we arrived here, Scouting South Africa has republished their Cub Trail into a series of 8 books or manuals. I will describe each in detail a bit further down.
Cub Scouts in South Africa uses sixes just like in Canada, however, the youth are also divided by year groups which are called advancement stages. They are Caracal (7), Cheetah (8), Leopard (9) and Lion (10). After a cub turns 10 they begin to prepare for their transition to Scouts at age 11 and can work towards their Leaping Wolf Badge and their Link Badge. The series of books outline the requirements for advancement and interest badges, along with information about the program and Scouting in general.
The Cub Trail books are as follows:
Welcome and Membership badge
Interest badges
Follow the Caracal Trail
Follow the Cheetah Trail
Follow the Leopard Trail
Follow the Lion Trail
Leaping Wolf Badge
Link Badge
While the principles (Jungle Book) and organization (sixes) of Cubbing are the same as in Canada, the design of the program is quite different.
In South Africa, Cub Scouts is a co-ed group for children ages 7 - 11. Only cubs 8 years and older can go to camps.
Since we arrived here, Scouting South Africa has republished their Cub Trail into a series of 8 books or manuals. I will describe each in detail a bit further down.
Cub Scouts in South Africa uses sixes just like in Canada, however, the youth are also divided by year groups which are called advancement stages. They are Caracal (7), Cheetah (8), Leopard (9) and Lion (10). After a cub turns 10 they begin to prepare for their transition to Scouts at age 11 and can work towards their Leaping Wolf Badge and their Link Badge. The series of books outline the requirements for advancement and interest badges, along with information about the program and Scouting in general.
The Cub Trail books are as follows:
Welcome and Membership badge
Interest badges
Follow the Caracal Trail
Follow the Cheetah Trail
Follow the Leopard Trail
Follow the Lion Trail
Leaping Wolf Badge
Link Badge
The welcome and membership book outlines the basics of the program and the requirements of becoming a Cub Scout. In Canada we would call these Cub Scouts Tenderpads, but I have not heard a specific term used here. The book introduces new youth to "pack calls". Such as, "PACK" means silence. "PACK-PACK-PACK" means gather in a parade circle. In the parade circle the pack stands either at "ALERT"(feet together hands at sides) or "AT EASE" (feet apart hands behind the back).
Cubs are not permitted to be in full uniform or participate in the Grand Howl until they have completed their membership badge. The must know the cub law, promise and motto. Demonstrate the left handshake and Cub Scout salute. They must understand the Grand Howl and know when it is used. Lastly, they must know the stories of BP and Mowgli's brothers. Once a cub has completed the 7 requirements he is ready for his investiture. Scouting occurs year round in our group. Youth join, usually one at a time, throughout the year. This is unlike what I experienced in Canada where the Scouting year started in September and large groups of new participants would join. So, investiture here happens when a new Cub is ready rather than at a larger beginning of the year ceremony as we generally did in Canada.
The Interest Badges book covers a range of badges and their requirements that are outside of the Cub Trail advancement badges. The badges are: Aircraft, Aquanaut, Artist, Athlete, Birds, Boating, Chess, Citizen, Civil Emergency, Collector, Computer, Conservation, Cooking, Craftsman, Cycling, Drawing, Engineer, Entertaining, Family Camping, First Aid and Health, Fishing, Food for Life, Flying Models, Gardening, Geologist, Handcraft, Home craft, Landscaping, Linguist, Machines, Masks, Model Boats, Naturalist, Nature Craft, Outdoors man, Pets, Photography, Projects, Recycling, Religion and Life, Repairs, Scholar, Secret Codes, Showman, Signalling, Singing, Skies, Sportsman, Swimmer, Traveller, Working Toys, World Friendship, and the World Conservation badge.
Each badge has a set of requirements, just like in Canada. Some are complete all, some are complete a set number of a suggested list. Badges can be completed at home or at meetings, just like in Canada.
Here is where the program becomes different.
Follow the Caracal, Cheetah, Leopard, Lion Trail books. Each Cub takes roughly the same trail each year, but each year the trail changes, just a little bit, and becomes more challenging. At all times the activities are age appropriate and encourage a Cub to Do Their Best. At the Caracal stage there is lots of explanation, references to the Jungle Book and easier tasks. For example, one trail requirement is called Living with Nature. Each book describes the natural world and has different requirements.
A Caracal must know the Outdoor Code. They must go for a nature ramble and listen to and identify sounds and natural objects. Then they make an item using natural materials.
A Cheetah needs to choose a living creature and research it or, describe the uses of trees and take care of a tree for one month. They also need to make a poster telling others about the Outdoor Code.
A Leopard must build a bird-feeder and observe the birds that visit for 2 weeks or, care for an animal or living creature for one month. They also must find out about a plant or creature which lives in either fresh or salt water.
A Lion, who by this time knows a great deal about Living with Nature, is required to find out about 2 endangered species in South Africa and tell the pack about them.
Stops along the trail include fires, knots, first aid, safety, creativity, recycling and sensations, among others. Each follows the same principals, but increases the challenge based on the Cub Scouts age.
The Leaping Wolf Badge book is an extra challenge for the cubs. It can only be awarded in the final year and can be done in conjunction with the Lion badge. The book incorporates some of the trail activities with some of the interest badges. I would equate it to that of the six star award in Canada.
The Link Badge book is sort of like a welcome and membership to Scouts. It talks about the Scout Promise, Law and Motto. It reviews the Scout sign as well as some outdoor skills (axeman ship and knotting) and requires a visit to the troop. A cub is awarded the link badge at the going up ceremony.
So, that's how the program goes. I'm still trying to work my way around this different way of doing things and every once and a while I inject some good old Canadian fun, like last week, when I had the kids doing a relay race. They had to race down a course to a recycled water bottle, unscrew the lid and dump the 6 marbles inside into a metal cake pan. Then they were instructed to pick them up one at a time, put them back in the bottle and screw the lid back on. Not such a hard relay until you add the Canadian twist and make them wear winter gloves. They loved it so much they made me promise we'd do it again some time.
Tuesday 8 November 2011
And then it hits you
When you hear that you're going to be moving half way around the world there are certain things that you know. You know it's going to be an adventure. You know there are going to be challenges. You know that there are going to be things that you miss, especially family.
I've heard that every relationship has a honeymoon period. A period of excitement and discovery. A period of settling and adjustment. The same can be said for this adventure.
When we first arrived it was pure excitement. Lots of new things to see and experience. Never knowing what was behind the next corner.
It went on like this for months, the adrenaline rush. With technologies like Skype and the telephone in a lot of ways I never felt that far away. The kids are still able to show babcia and dziadziu (grandma and grandpa in Polish) their artwork from school or their newest treasures from our adventures. They could show off the shell they picked up at the beach or the new curtains in their rooms. We talk to grandma on the phone every Sunday.
We've kept family present by eating Eggs McUncle L several times a week and the guest room is babcia and dziadziu's room. There are photos of family and friends around the house and we remember everyone in our prayers each night. The boys each have their own email accounts to keep in touch with friends.
Somehow, I was coasting along, managing until the middle of September. And then it hit me.
Back in the fall of 2010 my cousin got engaged. We were all thrilled for her. Her fiance (now husband) is a gem. Fits right into our family. The first time we met, he got a brief handshake of introduction, but by the end of the visit it was bear hugs from everyone. When the engagement was announced dh and I had just returned from Germany. Dh had been at a company meeting of his global team and I had tagged along. The next global team meeting was tentatively scheduled to be held in South Africa. So we joked with them that dh may not be able to attend as he might be in South Africa. My cousin and her fiance said, if the opportunity presented itself that I might as well skip the wedding to go with him. I told them I would never miss their wedding for a trip. Turns out I was wrong.
First, I missed the wedding shower, but I worked out a gift with my mom. I wrote a letter to my cousin and her fiance with product placements for the gift portion. I did a voice recording and I sent it back home so it could be my voice reading the letter with mom presenting each of the gifts. It was as close as I could get to being there. With Skype calls both before and after the shower I didn't feel too far away.
The wedding was a different story. I promised mom I'd send a note via email to be read at the wedding in our absence. Then I started to write the note or tried at least. There was so much that I wanted to say, but I just couldn't get the words onto the screen. The time when mom and dad left to travel to the wedding came and went and no email. I checked into sending a telegram, but that wouldn't have made it in time either. So when the words finally came it was the morning of the wedding. In a last ditch effort to "get it to the church on time" as they say, I sent my message to the reception hall, desperately hoping that they would check their email on a Saturday. I sent it urgent with a request for a delivery receipt and read receipt, but I never got confirmation of either. For the 2 days it took, until mom sent an email that the message had arrived in time for the wedding, I was feeling homesick and sorry for myself.
Somehow, until the wedding I had never really felt that far away from home. As the wedding came and went, I found myself thinking about my grandparents. 3 of my 4 grandparents emigrated to Canada from Poland back in the 1920's and 1930's. They left their homes and families to forge a better life. They arrived with nothing. They did not speak the language. They had no friends, no support, no jobs. They only had a dream, determination and a strong work ethic. Communication with family was by letter mail, sent by ship, taking months to arrive. If I recall correctly each of them only visited Poland once in all of the decades that they lived in Canada. Why did they feel the need to leave their home? Why did they leave everything they knew behind? It think they wanted a better life, not only for themselves, but for future generations. They wanted the opportunity to do better and to enrich their lives.
Our situation is different. We came to South Africa for a job, spoke the language, arrived with all of the things that were important for us to bring, all of the things that we would need. We have the benefit of telephones and Skype. Our communication with our family can be instantaneous. We know that we will be going home, both during our assignment and at the end.
Would I have had the courage to do what they did? Nope. But, thanks to them I have been given a different kind of opportunity. So, in the future, when I miss out on some family event or start to get homesick, instead of feeling sad or sorry for myself, I will remember them and be thankful.
I've heard that every relationship has a honeymoon period. A period of excitement and discovery. A period of settling and adjustment. The same can be said for this adventure.
When we first arrived it was pure excitement. Lots of new things to see and experience. Never knowing what was behind the next corner.
It went on like this for months, the adrenaline rush. With technologies like Skype and the telephone in a lot of ways I never felt that far away. The kids are still able to show babcia and dziadziu (grandma and grandpa in Polish) their artwork from school or their newest treasures from our adventures. They could show off the shell they picked up at the beach or the new curtains in their rooms. We talk to grandma on the phone every Sunday.
We've kept family present by eating Eggs McUncle L several times a week and the guest room is babcia and dziadziu's room. There are photos of family and friends around the house and we remember everyone in our prayers each night. The boys each have their own email accounts to keep in touch with friends.
Somehow, I was coasting along, managing until the middle of September. And then it hit me.
Back in the fall of 2010 my cousin got engaged. We were all thrilled for her. Her fiance (now husband) is a gem. Fits right into our family. The first time we met, he got a brief handshake of introduction, but by the end of the visit it was bear hugs from everyone. When the engagement was announced dh and I had just returned from Germany. Dh had been at a company meeting of his global team and I had tagged along. The next global team meeting was tentatively scheduled to be held in South Africa. So we joked with them that dh may not be able to attend as he might be in South Africa. My cousin and her fiance said, if the opportunity presented itself that I might as well skip the wedding to go with him. I told them I would never miss their wedding for a trip. Turns out I was wrong.
First, I missed the wedding shower, but I worked out a gift with my mom. I wrote a letter to my cousin and her fiance with product placements for the gift portion. I did a voice recording and I sent it back home so it could be my voice reading the letter with mom presenting each of the gifts. It was as close as I could get to being there. With Skype calls both before and after the shower I didn't feel too far away.
The wedding was a different story. I promised mom I'd send a note via email to be read at the wedding in our absence. Then I started to write the note or tried at least. There was so much that I wanted to say, but I just couldn't get the words onto the screen. The time when mom and dad left to travel to the wedding came and went and no email. I checked into sending a telegram, but that wouldn't have made it in time either. So when the words finally came it was the morning of the wedding. In a last ditch effort to "get it to the church on time" as they say, I sent my message to the reception hall, desperately hoping that they would check their email on a Saturday. I sent it urgent with a request for a delivery receipt and read receipt, but I never got confirmation of either. For the 2 days it took, until mom sent an email that the message had arrived in time for the wedding, I was feeling homesick and sorry for myself.
Somehow, until the wedding I had never really felt that far away from home. As the wedding came and went, I found myself thinking about my grandparents. 3 of my 4 grandparents emigrated to Canada from Poland back in the 1920's and 1930's. They left their homes and families to forge a better life. They arrived with nothing. They did not speak the language. They had no friends, no support, no jobs. They only had a dream, determination and a strong work ethic. Communication with family was by letter mail, sent by ship, taking months to arrive. If I recall correctly each of them only visited Poland once in all of the decades that they lived in Canada. Why did they feel the need to leave their home? Why did they leave everything they knew behind? It think they wanted a better life, not only for themselves, but for future generations. They wanted the opportunity to do better and to enrich their lives.
Our situation is different. We came to South Africa for a job, spoke the language, arrived with all of the things that were important for us to bring, all of the things that we would need. We have the benefit of telephones and Skype. Our communication with our family can be instantaneous. We know that we will be going home, both during our assignment and at the end.
Would I have had the courage to do what they did? Nope. But, thanks to them I have been given a different kind of opportunity. So, in the future, when I miss out on some family event or start to get homesick, instead of feeling sad or sorry for myself, I will remember them and be thankful.
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