Johnny on being back

Johnnyat God's Window, Mpumalanga, South Africa

It’s been a little over a month since we’ve all gotten home. I’ve been waiting to write this blog because the first week or two consists of constant changes in your everyday routine. In Cape Town, I was walking from house to house as if my life depended on it. You could bet every single day in the early afternoon that I would be walking past the Fat Cactus over the bridge and down to the other student house. Wait about 2-3 hours and sure enough there I would be again walking straight back past that restaurant and through the commons to the place I called home for 3 ½ months. I can only imagine those residents that lived in apartments along Durban road must’ve loved seeing me constantly walking back and forth with frequent regularity. There were three facts of life for those residents every morning: the sun will rise, the sun will set, and Johnny Kerins will stroll past our apartment complex at least 3-4 times a day. Now, if I am getting asked to do chores or drive a sibling somewhere, I don’t have that walk of solitude that: 1. could get me out of those situations and B. allowed me to truly be alone.

Secondly, the same old jokes that I used to laugh tirelessly at before I embarked for South Africa seem to be less and less funny now. When a couple friends and I are joking around and I say something like “cool drinks” or “is it?” those chuckles that I could 100% count on in Cape Town now go right over people’s heads quicker than I could’ve imagined. Telling stories that only those of us on the trip could connect to and truly understand has also been a struggle. I guess that kind of preserves the mystery that was our trip.

All jokes aside though, we are back in our real lives. Not to say that Cape Town didn’t count as “real life” but this is where we are now. These are our lives for the time being. Instead of talking about how bad home is compared to Rondesbosch and Mowbray, I think it is definitely more productive to take what we learned abroad and apply it to our lives here. Although there may not be as much to do here, a good attitude can really make this summer one to remember.

Johnny's realization

I feel like I’ve learned a lot from being here in Cape Town. Culturally, I have become extremely more sensitive and understanding about the way others look at the world. I watched this video today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZGghmwUcbQ ) and it reminded me about a lot of what I have learned in Cape Town. Walking around town, I feel that at one point on this trip I became desensitized to people asking for help on the street. I formed a hardened shell in my mind and refused to help those who needed it the most. After talking to a couple people about my attitude towards helping others, I realized my ways needed to change. I learned that it is important to look at all people for what they are, people. That is something I lost sight of at one point or another here. Thank God I caught myself before I permanently stopped helping. It is important to remember that everyone, one way or another, gets to the point where they need help. It definitely is difficult to constantly be asked for help by people you don’t know, especially when you aren’t sure of some people’s motives, but I have found that it is important to keep both your mind and heart open. I recommend everyone watches this video especially if you find yourself in a similar situation I was in. It was very difficult to realize that I was causing a problem that I really wanted to fix. It’s never too late to change your perspective on the world and that is something I definitely realized here in Cape Town.

Johnny's priceless experience at the theatre

Cape Town is a place of overwhelming cultural differences in comparison to Connecticut. The music, food, and art are just a few examples of intense cultural differences. I went to the ArtsCape, a local theatre, last Thursday to see the musical Sound of Music. I do enjoy musicals so I entered the theatre at first with high expectations. Then realizing I had no idea how prominent theatre was here, I sunk my expectations and was really anxious for what I was about to see. The cast, pageantry, vocals, and music were of the caliber that could rival New York’s Broadway production. The overall experience absolutely blew my mind and exceeded any initial expectation I could have had. I would recommend a night out on the theatre to anyone who is planning to visit Cape Town. Tickets were affordable and the night was unforgettable.

Ticket to Sound of Music: R150 ($14)

Drinks and Food: R100 ($9.30)

Smile on our faces after the show: Priceless

Tina, Johnny & Jessica: Classy Theater Goers

Johnny developing a passion for politics

Human Rights weekend was an eye-opening experience for me. I stood half way up the hill at the village we were staying at looking out to this amazing view of African scenery really starting to reflect on why I came here in the first place. I have been so busy and having so much fun here that I never really questioned my motives of coming here in the first place. This beautiful scenery doesn’t really hold the answers to my questions of why I came here. There is a picture on Facebook of me staring out into the abyss in this magnificent garden and these are the exact thoughts that were running through my mind.

Once the festivities of the weekend began, I also began to realize my true interest that lies in world politics. I was part of the Zimbabwean nation that ended up winning the fake prize money from the World Bank at the end of the weekend. While doing certain exercises with my country, a passion was being fueled in me, a passion for politics. I was really fascinated by how different countries operated under certain circumstances in comparison to how we operated under the same circumstances. Human Rights weekend really got me to start questioning my motives for my future which is something that confuses but definitely excites me.

Johnny receiving his Human Rights Training Certificate

Johnny at Operation Hope

As a young group of Americans approached the building that Operation Hope is placed in, I was amongst them and definitely the most nervous. Ask anyone on my trip to name you the internship that had the best presentation for us and they will undoubtedly tell you Operation Hope. I felt right at home. The ability to work with children while dealing with the business world is a dream come true for me. When I first got here, we got right to business. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous upon entering a field I wasn’t exactly familiar with (education). One of my first days on the job, I was asked to lay out my own style and presentation based on the modules and guides Elroy had taught me. Looking lost and confused, I probably appeared completely out of my element. Once both Nandipa and I first presented the modules to Elroy through a mock classroom environment, it came absolutely naturally. 

Nandipa and I worked very well together right from the beginning. We immediately started working at Marian High School where we began capturing both pre and post-tests as well as rolling out our first duel program. We really enjoyed the company of the girls in the high school as they were extremely receptive to our information. After every lesson, Elroy, Nandipa, and I would meet right away to reflect on what went well and went poorly during each module. This was very helpful in order to find out what we were doing correctly and what needed work. As we closed up Marian High School, we were constantly capturing tests from multiple schools and programs that were rolling out the BOOF program. Just as our adventure at Marian ended, Elroy took me on a tour of all the institutions that wished to start the BOOF program. I was able to meet the heads of all the schools and institutions that we would work with. We then began programming at Facreton Primary School where we are still currently rolling out the BOOF program. These little kids couldn’t have been happier having us there teaching them about dignity and money. As we continue at Facreton, we also are going to be checking up on volunteers who are also executing the BOOF program. Programming was being done at both of these schools during Global Money Week which is what we were busy with during that time. As much as I feel I do here, nothing could be accomplished without the leadership that Elroy provides along with the hard work Nandipa does day in and day out. I have learned so much from the both of them and I am excited to continue learning as my days here continue.

Johnny seeing Ocean View as one big family

This weekend was our home stay in Ocean View. Not really knowing what to expect I tried my best to go into the weekend with an open mind. I was warned that this type of living would not be what we expected which is exactly what I expected. (If that makes sense) I was expecting the unexpected. I roomed with Ken and our parents were a younger couple with young children. The atmosphere of our house was fun, loving, and crazy. I felt that our host parents were like celebrities of the neighborhood. People would be running in and out, saying hello, asking for help, etc. The neighborhood was so small and close knit that it felt like a big family. Some of the problems these families go through were extremely eye opening. The children were crazy and out of control at times but in the most entertaining way possible. Both Ken and I have inside jokes with our host mother and our host siblings. We went out one night with two members of a band that were close friends of our host family, and they showed us an interesting side of Ocean View. One thing is for sure, our host family knew how to have a good time. Our host mother texted Ken thanking us and telling us how much the family missed our presence. She seemed so proud to call us her “sons” and we are extremely excited to go back and see them again.

Johnny playing with kids in Ocean View