The Beginning of Adventures in South Africa

  The surroundings did not initially give away that we, 10 Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGMs), had arrived in South Africa. From our plane windows, we could not see animals from a safari or cultural dances, or hear different accents or languages. The airport was beautiful, and filled with posters and advertisements anticipating the World Cup, to be held during June 2010 in South Africa. Our fellow travelers moving through foreign customs were mostly white. On the highway, although we were driving on the left side of the road, many international companies featured advertisements or owned large buildings. Yet, on our first day, we experienced one of many layers of South Africa. 

  Later, our visit to the Apartheid Museum opened our eyes to another layer. We also learned that this is a layer that may be found in the US, to a different degree and a lesser of technical labeling, as we thought harder about the districts of Chicago, our city of YAGM orientation, and many cities in the US where people of the same heritage live in the same area. 

  We continue to learn about more layers of South Africa and the US. I look forward to sharing more with you during the rest of our South Africa orientation.