International Student Trips Powered By Discovery Education
South Africa Adventure

Testing

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Testing 1, 2, 3.  Testing how to blog from my blackberry. 

Overiew of South Africa

Check out this slideShare presentation about South Africa.

3 Days till

We'll be leaving on (several) jet planes to S. Africa...

1, 2, 3,

Ready, set, go----to packing, packing, packing.....for S.Africa.

Or

If you are not packing, here's a good read on our up-coming destination:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Africa



Saturday, May 30, 2009

Looks like good weather for our upcoming adventure:
http://weather.yahoo.com/Johannesburg-South-Africa/SFXX0023/forecast.html

DSA Texas

Are we ready for this?

Friday, May 29, 2009

-4 Days to Go!-

name badge-check!
lanyard-check!
t-shirt-check!
flight confirmation-check!
passport-check!
cameras-check!
excitement-(double) check!

Everything else-piece of cake!

Afrika/The Call of South Africa

South Africa National Anthem "Nkosi sikele' iAfrika" lyrics employ the five most populous of South Africa's eleven official languages - Xhosa (first stanza, first two lines), Zulu (first stanza, last two lines), Sesotho (second stanza), Afrikaans (third stanza) and English (final stanza). Watch this video.

You're Invited!

The Midland School District is holding a reception in our honor this Sunday at 2:00. Everyone is invited. Sure wish all of the South Africa travel group could come and share in the spotlight. We'll be thinking of you and counting down the days until we see you in Germany.

Student Blog Roll

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

I am currently working on linking student blogs to our page. I hope to finish it tomorrow.

Popular music of South Africa is popular in the US

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Singer Paul Simon included South African musicians and influences on his Graceland album. Also released in 1986, Graceland brought Ladysmith Black Mambazo to international prominence. Two years later, continued interest and the political climate of the times helped ensure the success of the Broadway play (and later film, starring Whoopi Goldberg) Sarafina! about the 1976 Soweto uprising against apartheid. Movie can be found in DVD format.

We're going Where? When?

Monday, May 25, 2009

With school almost over and only a week to go until the adventure of a lifetime - reality is setting in. It is almost unbelievable that we are heading to South Africa. Where has the time gone? I look at how much we have accomplished since late March (passports, shots, shopping, etc.) and wonder how we got it all done. Am I ready??? You bet! While there are tons of things left to do, I could leave tomorrow. I have been on the Bush Camp's website this morning and can't wait to get there. Thanks, Discovery for this amazing opportunity.

Comparison to Texas

Did you know that South Africa has an area of 471,000 square miles, which is about twice the size of the state of Texas? The population is about 43 million whereas Texas has 24 million people.

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Midland introduction blog can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGdQulWLPps Thanks, Kelby, for all your work on the video.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Check out the latest weather forecast for Johannesburg at http://weather.yahoo.com/Johannesburg-South-Africa/SFXX0023/forecast.html

Heading to South Africa, heading home?

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Dembo is not a common name. Prior to the internet, the only other Dembo I knew of that wasn't related to me was Fennis Dembo, college all star who barely ever saw the court as a member of the Detroit Pistons! Since the rise of the internet, I've learned about Ron Dembo, Yelena Dembo and a type of Reggae/Techno music that is nicknamed "Dembo" after one of the DJ's who made it famous.

I vividly remember though during inservice at my first teaching job, meeting a teacher who did a double take when she heard my last name. She asked whether I had any relatives in South Africa, because she knew quite a few people with the last name Dembo there. Dembo's in South Africa? I had no idea. It had never come up in any of my genealogy reports before.

Then, a few years later, someone created a website that determined the odds that somebody else shared the same name as you. According to the site, I may be the only person in the US named Steve Dembo. Because of this, I didn't exactly have high hopes of ever meeting another person with my name. So imagine my surprise when I received a message on Facebook from someone else with name... and guess where they from?

From Johannesburg, South Africa.

So while as giddy as I am to drink in the culture of South Africa, I have to admit that on a very personal level, I can't help but wonder whether I'll find traces of my family name while I'm there, and run into anybody else who may be an incredibly distant relative. And of course, meeting face to face what may be the only other person in the world who shares my name!

I have never...


Ever tried to blog before :). If this message goes into a black hole I'll probably never figure it out. I feel like I need to mapquest directions on the info super high way to make sure this note ends up where it's supposed to.
This pic is a gorgeous sunset over a volcano in Antigua, Guatemala. :)


I can't wait to be all over South Africa with you guys on the adventure of a lifetime!
Countdown to South Africa Adventure - Less than three weeks!

Welcome to the Blog

Friday, May 8, 2009

Welcome the the Discovery Student Adventure's South Africa Trip Blog. Check back for frequent updates from the teachers and students traveling on this pilot program.

Essential Programs Details

Duration 12 days
When June 2nd - 13th, 2009
Focus Wildlife Research/Conservation
Political History
Culture