"This is Africa" by Andrew Hurwitz

When the Term T.I.A. (This is Africa) Becomes Applicable

When you eat breakfast at the same bar you were at the night before

When your cab driver chooses what you’re going to do that night

When a traffic light is called a “robot”

When all gates are electric and high voltage signs are the most common sign around

When you actually hear a person tell you to take a left at the next robot

When a taxi holds over 16 people

When your T.A. helps you the most when you’re playing slots

When a restaurant’s menu has warthog, kudu, crocodile, and springbok

When penguins become aggressive

When elephants are obedient and listen well

When the locals think you’re insane for climbing Table Mountain

Move jackal, we don’t want to see you we want to see liiiiions

When winery tours are free

When baboons are attracted to the girls on our trip

When docking a boat requires hitting a beach at top speed. Everyone, hold on…

When you always find yourself waking up to Johnny Clegg on adventure week

When everyone calls you “my friend” and “cheers” means goodbye

When goodbye celebrations at the township turn into raging dance parties

When you miss a call from one of your parents

When you’re late to class

"Seize the Day" by Graham Williams

It is taken from the Latin word, "Carpe Diem". One life, that's all we get. Take advantage of every opportunity and seek out every chance you get to do something you will never forget. So when I heard about 4 weeks of living/studying abroad in South Africa, its the first 3 words that came to mind. Yea it was going to be an expensive trip and it might put me in a little debt to the ole parents but how often to people get to go LEAD in South Africa and do all that we've done? My parents never have, my grandparents never did, and most of my friends at home probably never will... But thankfully, when the opportunity came about, I knew I had to go for it no matter what. Here in Cape town, I've been able to experience many amazing things and even cross off 5 things off of my bucket list. Here is a list of the 5 things on my bucket list that have already been checked off in just a matter of 3 weeks:

1. Submerse myself in a completely different culture and experience life as they do. CHECK.
2. Dive with Great White sharks. CHECK.
3. Go bungee jumping of the highest bungee in the world? CHECK.
4. Go skydiving?? CHECK.
5. Go on a safari in Africa? CHECK!!!

And not only is all of this happening but as our trip is dwindling down and it will be disappointing to separate with new friends- I know that just one week after they all leave, ill still be here in Cape Town knocking just one more big thing off my bucket list: Going to the WORLD CUP

"Live it Up" by Amy Bisger

The Top 10 Things that Surprised Me the Most About South Africa

• KFC is everywhere. South Africans adore KFC. In fact, the ratio of KFC’s to McDonald’s that we have seen is about 10 to 1, and South Africans call KFC “Kentucky.”
• South Africans refer to stoplights as “robots” and flashlights as “torches.” This was fairly confusing at first, but something that we picked up on pretty quickly.
• South African ketchup is not the same as American ketchup. However, we have discovered that adding large amounts of salt to South African ketchup can help.
• There is quite possibly more sushi available in South Africa than in some areas of Japan. If you want good sushi, you don’t need to go all the way to Asia, go to Africa instead.
• Animals such as Springbok and Ostrich are readily available on the menu. Don’t be afraid of the names, they are actually delicious.
• The tallest bungee jump in the world is in South Africa.

• The restaurant service in South Africa is a lot more relaxed. Even if you are only going to breakfast, you should allot at least 45 minutes to an hour.
• Table Mountain alone contains more different types of plant species than all of the United Kingdom, over 1,500.
• South Africa has a penguin colony. The penguins are able to survive due to the cold Antarctic currents on the West Coast near the Cape.
• It is very rare to be pulled over for speeding in South Africa. This became apparent after Adventure Week when we reached ridiculously high speeds on both highways and main roads, without a second glance from a cop.

"See Everything Possible" by Lauren Shuler

Top Ten Things You Must Do While in Cape Town:

1. You must hike up Table Mountain. Yes it is a struggle, but the view from the top is absolutely breathtaking.

2. You must dance to the song “Stereo Love” at a bar Long Street. Everybody goes crazy when this song comes on.

3. You must try springbok. While it sounds gross at first, it is actually delicious and taste like pot roast.

4. You must bungee off Bloukrans Bridge. It is the world’s tallest bungee and an adrenaline rush like nothing you have ever felt.

5. You must visit Robben Island. With the apartheid being such a big part of South Africa’s history, you must go see where Nelson Mandela spent most of his time imprisoned.

6. You must ride an elephant. It is amazing to see these massive animals close up. Riding one is a chance of a lifetime.

7. You must visit the Green Market. It is full of great souvenirs. It has everything you could imagine from tapestries to funky tribal jewelry to fun colorful African tunics. Make sure to bargain well with the vendors.

8. You must go eat brunch at Manna Epicure on Kloof Street. This local bakery is decorated so cute and the eggs are to die for. Also they have great homemade bread. YUM.

9. Enjoy an amazing cup of African coffee. Everywhere I go the coffee is so good I can’t get enough of it!

10. Go to Franschhoek wine lands and visit a vineyard. It is a such a cute little town and the drive from there to Cape Town is something out of movie it is so beautiful. It is such a neat experience to get to see how all the wine is made and tasting it is fun too!

"Life is Adventure" by Andrew Meaney

A quick recap of my 2^nd week in Cape Town…

Monday – 3 pet birds (Lorenzo, Dubs, and J Cole) and 4 noise complaints later… and we’re still allowed to stay at the hotel.

Tuesday – Snowboarding… on sand dunes. We made ramps, slid down on our butts, and just had one heck of a good time out there with some friends. Our guide, Christo, decided to show off for us by jumping off this huge drop he had never done before and probably getting about 3 or 4 meters in the air. Unfortunately, he ate it... hard. Next was Groves, a first time sandboarder who landed the same jump to perfection.

Wednesday – WOW. We started the day off at 6:30am with a brisk hike up Table Mountain – much more difficult than many of us anticipated, but it made us appreciate the unbelievable views much more once we reached the top. We hiked above the clouds to create our bucket lists that had no limits.

Thursday – A dozen of us did something we never thought we would do today – we jumped out of a plane! I felt like a little kid again and was laughing uncontrollably the whole 30 seconds that I was free falling before the parachute deployed. The best duo to go up in the plane together had to have been Katy and Graham. Katy was extremely scared before going, so Graham was inevitably the best partner to calm her down on the 10,000 ft. flight up. They both got videos, and Katy’s showed her fear since she was holding on to her harness for dear life the entire descent until she touched solid ground. But she did it! Graham’s video is priceless as well, and everyone on Global LEAD should watch it sometime before leaving the country. Put it on the bucket list.

Friday – This is the day we visited Robben Island, the place where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned, and we were showed around by his cell mate, Ahmed Kathrada. He educated us on what it was like to live in that jail for 18 years and described Robben Island as a microcosm of apartheid in South Africa. Kathrada is an Indian whereas Mandela is a colored man, and they received differential treatment, even in jail. Ahmed Kathrada would get ¼ loaf of bread a day. Mandela would get none. Kathrada was allowed to wear pants whereas Mandela was required to wear shorts. Hearing Kathrada talk really hit home and showed me how prevalent and real apartheid was, even in the isolation of Robben Island.

Saturday – The majority of the Springboks traveled to Cape Point yesterday, the destination where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans collide. This was an extremely rugged and beautiful place with gorgeous views of mountains butting up against the edges of the water. One of the highlights of this trip occurred as we were leaving the Cape of Good Hope to go up to the lighthouse for some better views of the area. We saw a baboon that came close to us and decided to take some pictures. The baboon zoomed right past us, heading straight for an unsuspecting van where he jumped through the driver side window. The best part is that the baboon invaded the car right over a sleeping Asian man who bolted out of the door as soon as he awoke and realized that a baboon was in his van eating his food! The Asian fellow opened up all the doors and tried to beat the baboon out with a jacket – an effective way to piss off a wild monkey and encourage him to eat the rest of the food in your car. This went on for a good 5 minutes, and much of the madness was captured in pictures by the 50 of us surrounding the car.

It has been a fairly fun week to say the least…

"My South African Experience" By: Dana Tashiro

My South African experience so far has been completely unreal and over the top amazing. When in Cape Town, we have started to frequently use the catchy acronym, T.I.A. T.I.A. is most commonly known as, “This is Africa”. So naturally, here’s my top 5 most African things or experiences:

1. Petting cheetahs at free will with a small payment of 100 Rands
2. The unyielding love for both Michael Jackson and Justin Beiber that resides in virtually all township homes
3. Mama Africa, the name says it all
4. Obsessions with anything Springbok and everything Bafana Bafana
5. The opportunity to cage dive with great white sharks, bungee jump, sky dive, surf, sand board, para-glide, go on wild safaris, and riding ostriches all while only traveling at max a few hours from home

T.I.A. is a legitimate phrase and is used to describe only true African happenings.

"Vinos and Cheetos" By: Claire Shurley

Today was a beautiful day from start to finish. I woke up early enough to enjoy the serenity of an incredible sunrise from inside my apartment window. And again as I arrived home after all of the days events, I along with two others was stunned by the breathtaking orange and coral painted sky right before our eyes beyond the horizon and above the frothy waves that crash and cover the beaches here in Cape Town. Gorgeous. And a perfect way to end such an elegant day of wine tastings and cheetah viewings. This morning we Springboks got on the bus at ten and drove out to the Haut Espoir vineyards in Franschhoek. As we passed vineyard after vineyard, perfect row after row of grape plants plastered set in a background of rolling hills that lead to the beautiful peaks of South Africa, we noticed the stark contrast of our surroundings here from the valley of the township that we spent our time in these past four days. I and many of the others agree that we are so glad we ventured beyond to the more touristy side of Cape Town after our service week with the amazing people of Sir Lowry's Pass. We had a much broader perspective now, not only of the diversity of this city, but also of the real life situations and actual lifestyles of the people in and around the city. And with these new understandings we were able to fully enjoy and appreciate every little aspect of the wine tastings and tours as well as the cheetah viewings... and for the lucky few... cheetah pettings :). Everything is looking beautiful here in Cape Town!

"It’s All about LOVE" By: Kelly Daniel

On Tuesday night of this week the Springboks spent the night in a township called Sir Lowry’s Pass. It was quite an experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Through serving, I learned so much. My house mother, Ms. Gloria, taught me what it means to truly serve. She is one of the most remarkable women I know. She has ten children; three of her daughters live with her along with her grandchildren. She provides for them all and loves them with all her heart. She told me that on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday she serves the children in her part of the township soup and bread. This spoke volumes to me! I thought of how I try to serve others, but now I’m not so sure if I truly serve. Ms. Gloria serves unconditionally and with all the love in her heart.

Another thing that really stuck out to me is how happy and content everyone was. Even though they are economically poor, they are rich in family, friends, and faith. Their faith in God is extraordinary. The children sang praises before they received their soup and they were so passionate and genuine about it, too. Watching them deeply touched me, and made me realize something; that it doesn’t matter how much money or how much “stuff” one has, all that matters is that one has love. I can’t help but think of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called “It’s all about Love.” With love, one can do anything and survive any situation. “After all, it’s all about love.”

"Top Ten New Things to Try in South Africa" By: Crystal Weigle

10. Ride an ostrich in Oudtshoorn, the ostrich capital of South Africa. The wranglers catch a male ostrich by the neck and put a small sack over its head to blind it. The ostriches tend to panic easily, so the normally bury their heads in the sand because they think that if they cannot see you- you cannot see them. Then they guide the ostrich over to the post for you to hop on. When they take the sack off its head, it panics and gallops around the pin!

9. Eat springbok, ostrich and kudou. All of theses are local game meats that are really delicious!!

8. Go on a night safari to see the Big 5: lions, rhinos, leopards, water buffalo, and elephants. Addo National Elephant Sanctuary was the beautiful park that we stayed at and we got to see many of these and other animals on our night safari and day tour.

7. Try a roosterkouk which means roasted/ barbecued cake in Afrikaans. It’s a local sandwich with a roasted flat bun spread with butter, lots of cheddar cheese, African bacon, and fig jam. It is delicious!

6. Go shark cage diving and learn to surf.

5. Take lots of pictures of the epic mountain ranges, rough gorges, beautiful wine lands and rolling waves on the sandy beaches. Take video of the dolphins racing your boats on the sunset cruise.

4. Try a springbokie. It’s the local shot: peppermint liquor with Baileys on top. The colors represent the colors of the Springbok (animal) and are the colors of the South African Rugby team who are also called the Sprinkboks.

3. Meet other travelers at the beautiful hostels we stay at during adventure week. Not only have we gotten to met travelers from the States, UK, Germany, New Zealand and many other countries.

2. Go to a rugby game. We will be doing this tonight! If the South African team wins, the rugby finals will be played here in Cape Town on the 13th of June.

1. Bungee jump off of the tallest bungee in the world (216 meters) at Bloukrans Bridge. Everyone will agree, it is one of the most terrifying and exhilarating experiences of your life!