Our Time in South Africa and at Michaelhouse: Cole Thornton and Turner Johnson

Our Time in South Africa and at Michaelhouse: Cole Thornton and Turner Johnson

Day 1:
We landed in Durban at 10 pm after a full 24 hours of travel and met our host brother Murray and his mother, Deborah Finlay. They took us back to their home in the Mount Edgecomb subdivision and introduced us to Rusks and Milo while discussing our respective cultures.

Day 2:
After a good night's sleep and a late morning due to jet-lag, we ate a quick breakfast and headed out to the coast. We spent the day on the beach and at the Ushaka Water Park where we snorkeled, watched dolphin shows and tried Steers, a staple of South African fast food. Upon returning home, we played golf on the neighborhood course and had an ostrich, chicken and sausage dinner.

Day 3:

The next day we drove around the city of Durban and visited various cultural sites. We spent the afternoon at the enormous Gateway Mall and ended the day relaxing at the beautiful Oyster Hotel and dining at the Bar B Coa restaurant. 

Day 4:

We left early to meet our next host family, the Nortons, who lived in Howick. Rosebud Norton and her son Will picked us up and we bade the Finlays farewell. After dropping our things at their lovely home, we drove through the countryside of the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. We stopped at the historic Nelson Mandela capture sight and saw the simple but powerful monument and museum. They then showed us the Michaelhouse grounds and took us go-karting before we came home to enjoy a delicious dinner and conversations.

Day 5: 

On our second day with the Nortons, we go to experience some genuine African shopping at the local market in Howick where we were able to cover gifts for us and our families. That afternoon, we headed to the famous Karkloof Canopy tours. We spent two exciting hours zip-lining through the top of a mist forest while overlooking the midlands. After arriving home, we ate dinner with the Norton's extended family and prepared to go to our last family in the morning.

Day 6 and 7:

We met our last family, the Pitts, and drove to their farm in Underberg. Our two days here were incredible and full. We chased sheep, milked cows and played porch tennis on their beautiful farm in the scenic mountains. On the second day with them we visited Sani Pass in the Lesotho. We experienced a different aspect of African culture and many spectacular vistas. That night, we packed up and headed for our final three weeks at Michaelhouse. 

Our Time at Michaelhouse School:

In our time at Michaelhouse we met a bunch of amazing people and took some amazing classes. Turner was able to explore some of his interest in his Economics and Accounting classes, and Cole could flourish in his History and Art classes. We both participated in sport while we were on campus. Cole played tennis and we both played soccer and squash. Living in Mackenzie House, We met friends that we will never forget and forged friendships that will never fade. 

Game Reserve:

During out stay at Michaelhouse we took three days and went on a safari at the Nambiti Game Reserve at the N 'daka lodge. We went on four game drives and saw a ton of beautiful animals; elephants, buffalo, ostrich, rhino, impala, kudu, zebra, giraffe, lion, and hippo. We also ate delicious food on the trip to Nambiti. 

Final Thoughts:

Our time in South Africa was a truly unforgettable and once-in-a-lifetime trip. We got to experience so many different areas and ways of life, from city to town to farm, all while journeying through the scenic countryside. We met so many wonderful people and loved our stay at Michaelhouse. We definitely recommend this exchange!!

Akeim George -- Michaelhouse College Exchange 2014

My exchange to Michaelhouse College was filed with excitement the moment I stepped off of the plane in Johannesburg. Kang and I were quickly separated by hundreds of passengers looking for their bags. By chance, Kang and I were both scammed of $20 by "porters" who led us to our check-in kiosk, only to tell us their services were complimentary, not complementary. 

The next morning I woke up in time to see the sunrise: 

Jet-lag made this picture possible. 

After a confusing trip through the Johannesburg airport we boarded our cozy plane to Durban, where we met our first host brother, Matt Kiln.The Kilns lived in a neighborhood called Garlington in Hilton, a township close to Pietermaritzburg. I was exhausted and jet lagged, so I fell asleep during the World Cup final. 

While waiting for breakfast, Matt, his little brother, Kang and I went out to play touch rugby. Then Matt's mother called us in for a delicious breakfast of bacon, fried eggs, and toast. 

After breakfast, Matt's mother took us to see the Mandela Capture Sight, where I learned many things. For instance, Mandela wasn't always the activist that he was late in his life. 

Perhaps the most exciting part of the trip came after I had finally alleviated myself of jetlag. We met our other host brother, Fergus Hathorn, who was taking us to the Imfolozi Game Reserve. What we Americans call safaris, the South Africans called game drives -- they made it a point to remind us every day. On our weekend trip, the goal was to spot "The Big 5" -- which are the five most dangerous animals to hunt (White Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, and Elephant). Only the leopards were able to avoid the keen eyes of myself and Kang.

A couple of elephants playing in the river

Pensive zebra staring into the distance.

After three days of unbelievable sights, frights from hyenas, and braais with the Kings (friends of the Hathorns) and Hathorns, we returned back to civilization to experience another staple of South African culture: rugby. We went to watch a match in the Commonwealth Games series; it was the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks versus the Highlanders of New Zealand. Before the game started, we were able to walk around Durban for a bit, and we ran into some friends! We saw MBA student Curtis Turner, and Zander Prinsloo, former exchange student, just outside of the stadium. After talking for a bit, we headed into the stadium to watch the South Africans do their thing.

After a week of incredible activities, Kang and I finally enrolled at Michaelhouse for their Michaelmas term and lived in Mackenzie Hall. Here, we were "B-Blockers," or 11th year students. We received special treatment from the younger students, who were obligated to greet us, grant us right of way on the walkways, and open doors for us. The hierarchy system was very important at Michaelhouse, and our B-Block scarves ensured that we got our deserved respect.

At Michaelhouse, I took Music, Afrikaans, Maths (math), English, Drama, and Biology. The schedule was run on a two-week rotating block system, like Harpeth Hall. After classes, which ended around 2:30 P.M., every boy was required to do a sport; I took up rugby since it was such an important sport in South African culture. I thought rugby would be an easy sport to pick up since everyone compared it to American football, but it felt more like a hybrid of soccer and hockey to me (two sports I have never played). It required much more fitness, and a bit more skill from all of the players for a good rugby team to form. I only had time to play in one 7v7 tournament, but I skyrocketed to superstardom in that short afternoon. I had four very long runs, one of which ended with me scoring (and showboating). Unfortunately, my flash in the spotlight was not captured on camera, but, trust me, I was good.

After athletics was prep, a time for students to do work. In this time, Kang and I roamed the campus and hung out with our old friend Shingi Vambe, or other guys in Farfield, the same house as our host brothers.  These "oaks" were some of my best friends while at Michaelhouse.

During this time I also got to know the Michaelhouse Music Department very well. Kang and I both performed at a local restaurant with the Michaelhouse choir boys, and I went on to perform three more times. I performed with the Michaelhouse jazz band for a dinner. I got to play sax and be the hype man for their competitive Marimba band. And I got to perform a duet at the all-girl school, St Anne's with Chelsea Kisbey-Green, an incredible saxophonist at St. Anne's. All of these performances happened with less than a couple of days of practice, so I greatly appreciated them allowing me to help out.

Or we would sit in our room with restricted Wi-Fi when everyone had work.

Sounds like a lot so far, right? The trip must have ended after so many once-in-a-lifetime opportunities? NOPE. Michaelhouse decided to take all of the exchange students on another game drive, this time on the private Nambiti Game Reserve.

Exchange students (minus Kang) atop Pride's Rock

Here, we were pampered with unrestricted Wi-Fi usage, warm hand towels after every game drive, and absolutely fabulous meals. It was here that we saw the entirety of the Big 5 (still no leopard picture though). This trip gave us a chance to bond with the other exchange students, and enjoy South Africa's wilderness even more.

Zebra and giraffe grazing in the morning

White Rhino

Lions feasting on a carcass.

A sign of things to come...

After yet another phenomenal event in South Africa, our time there was finally running out. We took the last week of school to get to know the boys in our own house, and to thank all of our teachers for allowing us to distract their classes with our American presence. After an emotional last day at Michaelhouse, Kang and I departed South Africa with great pictures and an even greater experience under our belts.

I'd like to thank the Warner family immensely for sponsoring this program, as it has truly opened my eyes to the diversity of our world. I had never been to the African continent, and I cannot think of any better way to have had a first taste than this one. I'd also like to thank Mr. Gioia and the school for making this program available to me. The MBA exchange program is a truly life-changing experience that I would not trade for anything in the world.

Kang Huh, Michaelhouse College, 2014

My exchange with Michaelhouse was one filled with excitement from the very beginning.

Getting off the plane at Johannesburg, Akeim and I were quickly separated by the throngs of passengers looking for their bags. By some dumb luck, both Akeim and I were scammed of $20 by "porters" who, claiming that their services were complimentary, led us to our check-in kiosks (to be fair, we were a bit lost).

Feeling conned, Akeim and I reconvened at the terminal and boarded our flight to Durban, where we met our first host brother, Matt Kiln. The Kilns lived in a neighborhood called Garlington in Hilton, a township close to Pietermaritzburg. After watching the Argentinians lose to Germany in the World Cup Final, Akeim and I tucked into bed for another wild day in South Africa.

The next day, we awoke to this:

South Africa takes backyards to a whole new level

Garlington was beautiful. With the sun shining over me, I could almost hear Mufasa saying to me, "Everything the light touches is our kingdom." Marveling at the sheer expanse of the Kiln's backyard, Akeim and I ran about for a bit and played some amateur rugby with Matt. Then, breakfast called, and Matt's mother, Sally Kiln, served us a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and toast. Having been on a plane for more than half of the day, Akeim and I welcomed the food as if we were welcoming a long-lost friend.

After breakfast, The Kilns took us to the Mandela Capture Site, where Nelson Mandela was captured by the Afrikaaners and placed in prison. The museum itself was very simple, but the sculpture out front was a spectacle to behold. From the side, it looked like a bunch of jagged metal rods, but from the front, it was Nelson Mandela's face.

The next day, the Kilns took me (Akeim was all tuckered out) to Karkloof Mountain for a canopy tour, which is essentially an extended high ropes course. We zip-lined for about 30 minutes, which may have been one of the most terrifying 30 minutes of my life. The zip-line course was especially high because we were going along the side of a mountain, so the ground was nowhere in sight. Nevertheless, I made it back down safely, which was certainly relieving.

(L-R): Matt, James (Matt's brother), and me

The next day was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Early in the morning, Akeim, Matt and I met with our other host brother, Fergus Hathorn. Together, we drove to Imfolozi/Hluhluwe Game Reserves, which is a national park in South Africa. Here, we went on a Safari with Fergus' family, which was full of tea, rusks, and braais.

When going on safari, visitors always try to see the "Big 5," or the 5 deadliest animals to hunt: White Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, and Elephants. Of the 2 game drives we went on, Akeim and I saw all but the Leopard.

Guided by the Hathorns and their friends the Kings, we saw myriad animals, or what I called "Live Action Lion King." Imfolozi showed me just how beautiful nature could be...

They look cute, but they're dangerous.

Truly a rare sight: a whole herd of elephants

In the wilds of Africa...

After spending 3 days at Imfolozi, the Hathorns returned us to the Kilns at Durban. After hearing about a big rugby match, Matt took us to see the Commonwealth Games. In this match, the KwaZulu-Natal Sharks faced the Dunedin Highlanders from New Zealand. Before we entered the stadium, we ran into Curtis Turner, who was also on exchange, and Zander Prinsloo, who came to MBA last year. We reminisced for a bit and proceeded to watch the Sharks show the Highlanders what South Africa was made of.

After a week of incredible activities, Akeim and I finally enrolled at Michaelhouse for their Michaelmas term and lived in Mackenzie Hall, where we met 2012 exchange student, Gianluca Truda (who was our housemaster). Here, we were "B-Blockers," or 11th year students. As such, we received special treatment from the younger students, who were obligated to greet us, grant us right of way on the walkways, and open doors for us. Seniority was big at Michaelhouse, and the coveted "B-Block Scarf" let younger students know who really ruled the school.

The coveted B-Block scarf

Mackenzie House

At Michaelhouse, I enrolled in English, Math(s), Afrikaans, Music, Economics, and Geography. The school ran on a block schedule, only having a few periods per day. The day was followed by a few hours of athletics. Akeim played rugby, and I tried out squash, which was basically racquetball. After athletics was prep, a period for students to do their homework. During this time, Akeim and I would usually visit our friends in other dorms, such as Shingi Vambe, who came on exchange to MBA last year, and the boys in Farfield House, where our host brothers lived (shout-outs to Craig, Ben, Liam, Grant, and Nic).

The return of the king: Shingi himself 

(L-R): Fergus, Gerry, Liam, me, Matt

Robert is always happy to see me

From the get-go, Akeim and I were thrust into activities. In our first week, we played a concert at a local restaurant in Pietermaritzburg with some of the Michaelhouse choir boys. These guys would become some of our closest friends here, simply because we saw them so much (shout-outs to Van-Wyk, Bruere, Kurt, Luke, Jono, Dillan, James, and Gerry).

Midway through our second week, the school took Akeim and me to another game reserve, Nambiti Game Reserves. We were joined by the other exchange students from Scotch College in Melbourne and Christ's College in New Zealand (shout-outs to Liam, Jack, James, and Nic). We spent 3 days of pampered life here and saw 4 of the Big 5, and even the elusive brown hyena.

We're nature explorers. 

A buffalo 

A black rhino appears! Finally!

The final week at Michaelhouse was a sad one for Akeim and me, as we knew our time with the Michaelhouse "oaks" was slowly ending. We used this time to get to know the Mackenzie boys better (shout-outs to Wesley, Ben, Jordan, Dan, Luke, Robert, and Reece). After an emotional last day at Michaelhouse, Akeim and I departed from Pietermaritzburg on a Sunday, bringing an end to a great experience.

I'd like to thank the Warner family immensely for sponsoring this program, as it has truly broadened by worldview. I have never once been to the African continent, let alone South Africa, and I cannot think of any better way to have had a first taste than this one. I'd also like to thank Mr. Gioia and the school for making this program available to me. The MBA exchange is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I am glad I did not pass up.

To future Michaelhouse exchange students- here are some words you should know before going:
- Mint (adj.)- awesome

- Bru (n., pron. "brew")- "bro"

- Kack (n.)- An E-blocker who has to serve an A-block prefect

- Fresh (adj.)- visually appealing, attractive

- Snack (n.)- object of one's affection

- Snack (v.)- to pursue aforementioned snack

- Howzit- What's up?

- Goie more- Good morning (Afrikaans)

- Sawubona- Good morning (Zulu)

Ferriss Bailey Michaelhouse, South Africa

In Front of the Mandela House

Miles and I left at 2:30 in the afternoon and we arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa at 11:00am(Nashville time) the next day. South Africa is seven hours ahead so it was five in the afternoon. We were picked up by Mrs. Vambe, the mother of Shingi, a student at Michaelhouse who is coming to MBA in the fall. During the long ride to their house in a suburb of Joburg, Mrs. Vambe asked us many questions about everything from school to our future plans, but Miles and I were both a little slow after our long flight and introduction to an entirely new place. We eventually arrived at the Vambe’s house and met Shingi, and his two sisters.

The Vambes were extremely hospitable and showed us around Joburg. They brought us to the Lion Park outside of Joburg, where we were able to see Impalas, Zebras, Giraffes, and Lions. We also fed the giraffes by hand and pet the lion cubs.

An Elephant in Unfolozi

A Giraffe in Umfolozi

The next day the Vambes took us on a tour of Soweto, which is the only place in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners lived on the same street, those two are Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. Soweto also has severe poverty and as a result many squatter camps. We were actually able to go into one called Kliptown. A resident named Mo showed us inside a typical house and then showed us the Kliptown Youth Program or KIP. KIP is a program that provides the children of Kliptown with food, computers, tutoring, and various activities. It is operated by Thulani Madondo, who was actually a top ten CNN Heroes finalist. Kliptown was truly eye-opening, not only because of the awful living conditions, but also because of the amount of effort certain individuals are putting forth to make a change. We went on to Mandela’s house, which has been turned into a small museum. It was especially moving to see it with Mandela in such critical condition.

The Prinsloos

A male Nyala that our host brother, Armin, shot

After our short stay in Joburg, Miles and I flew on to Durban where we were picked up by the Prinsloos. Their house in the Zimbali estate was beautiful, with a clear view of the Indian Ocean and a world class golf course. Mr. Prinsloo told us there was no theft in Zimbali except for the monkeys, who run into the house and steal food all the time. The Prinsloos took us up north to Hluhluwe, and we stayed on a pineapple farm, which actually produces twenty percent of the world’s pineapples. We went hunting on the farm first for guinea fowl and later for buck. Both Miles and I shot a guinea fowl, but we didn’t see many buck. Armin the younger brother did shoot a Nyala(pictured to the right) which is a trophy kill. The Prinsloos then took us on to the Umfolozi game reserve, which is the world’s second oldest behind Yellowstone. We didn’t see a great amount on the reserve, but we saw two elephants and a Giraffe as close as we possibly could, which made it completely worth it.

Michaelhouse main quad, a view from the bell tower

The Founders House C Blockers

After an unbelievable time with the Prinsloos, we drove west to Michaelhouse. The school is situated in the midlands of Kwazulu-natal; basically, it is in the middle of nowhere. Michaelhouse is an all boys, all boarding school with many traditions. Some of the traditions include the sacred grass in the main quad, which only school prefects can walk on. Students coming to and leaving the school must wear number ones, which is the formal uniform of a blazer and the school tie. There is also a cak and cop system where the seniors can order the E blockers or 8^th graders to make them a sandwich, do their laundry etc. It is essentially the opposite of the Little Brother system at MBA, where we help welcome the new students. Behind the obvious differences, MBA and Michaelhouse are very similar. They are both all boys private schools recognized for their academic and extra-curricular strengths.

I stayed in Founders House, which is the oldest of the eight houses. Miles stayed in Mackenzie, the newest house. We both stayed in C block(10^th) dorms, but went to B block(11^th) classes. Unfortunately, I was not able to play any team sports because of a stress fracture on my shin, but I was able to cycle. My Housemaster, Mr. Bounds lent me his bike, and I was able to go on many beautiful rides in the adjacent Orobi reserve.

One of my mountain biking adventures

Of all of my classes, Drama and History were the most memorable. Drama was always exciting, and we really got to know the other guys in the class. It was interesting in History to see the different perspective on events. My teacher, Mr. Thompson, is also the exchange coordinator at Michaelhouse.

The entire trip was unbelievable, and I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Warner, Mr. Gioia our host families, the Vambes and the Prinsloos, Mr. Thompson, and everyone at Michaelhouse for making the trip possible. I have made good friends and memories to last a long time.

An Amazing Time in Michaelhouse, South Africa, with Chris Habermann

We started the trip with the worst part, the flight. We started in BNA, flew to Washington D.C., made a pitstop in Dakar, Senegal, and then finally made it to Johannesburg. After over a day of travel and hardly any sleep, Vince and I were exhausted as we wandered through the Johannesburg airport. At the baggage pick-up, we met our host brother, Gianluca Truda, and his mother, Teresa, who greeted us with warm welcomes and big hugs.

Even though I wanted to fall asleep, I stayed awake in the car to see the city as we went past. The parts I could see in the dark were amazing, but it was hard getting used to driving on the left side of the road. The strangest thing that I noticed on the car ride to their house was that every building had fencing around it. This fencing wasn't your typical picket fence, but was at least 10-feet high with electrified barbwire on top. 

We started off the next day by going to Lion and Rhino Nature Reserve. At the Reserve you were able to drive around in your own car, following a bumpy path that weaved and zig-zagged throughout the area. On the trail we saw dozens of incredible animals, such as lions, water buffalo, zebras, and isboks. The part that struck me as the most amazing was that all of these creatures were native to the area.

The lionesses were hard to find because they were able to blend
in so well with the environment, but once you found
them you couldn't believe that you didn't see them earlier. 

Next we went to Maropeng, the Cradle of Humankind. Maropeng is a museum that displays the evolution of man with on-site fossils, movies, rides, and many fun and interactive exhibits. Along with the exhibits, Maropeng is known for its unique design. The museum is built into a hill and runs underground until it opens up to a beautiful view of the valley below.

On the left is Teresa Truda, our host mother.

On the next day we went to visit Soweto, the biggest Township in Johannesburg and the site of Nelson Mandela's childhood home. The amount of poverty here was truly eye-opening. There were slums as far as the eye could see. Many of the shacks didn't even have electricity; they had to steal it from street lamps that were sometimes hundreds of yards away. As you got closer to 8115 Vilakazi St., Nelson Mandela's house, the houses got nicer and nicer, becoming an upbeat and vibrant area.

The shanties seemed to go on forever.

The next day Gianluca, Vince, and I flew off to Durbin to meet up with our other host brother, Campbell Green. We stayed at his uncle's penthouse suite, which was on top of a building right on the beach. The area was beautiful and the Indian Ocean was surprisingly warm, even though it was winter down there. We spent most of our time in Durbin on the beach or in the mall. The coolest part, however, was that Durbin has monkeys like Nashville has squirrels.

A monkey eating a sandwich it found in the trash.

After two days in Durbin, we made the two hour drive to Michaelhouse. The campus was beautiful! After finding our dorms, Vince and I met all of the other students in MacKenzie, our house. We were put in the A-Block (Senior) dorms, meaning that we were the big-shots on campus. All of the A-Blockers had their own cacks, an E-Blocker (7th Grader) who basically did whatever his cop (the A-Blocker) asked of him. During break, we would sit in the copshop (the Senior Room) watching the Olympics while our cacks made us snackwiches (grilled cheese sandwiches), drinks, and whatever else we asked for.

The front of Michaelhouse.

We did our sport on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and had matches on the weekend. I picked canoeing as my sport, which was probably a bad choice in the winter since their canoeing was like Olympic Kayaking. The boats were very unsteady, and I flipped almost every other stroke into the freezing cold water.

My dorm, extremely messy after only a few days.

We took our classes with the B-Blockers (11th Graders) and had tons of fun. They had six classes that they would do the whole year like us, but their schedule would be different each day. My favorite class was probably History with Mr. Thomson. The kids in our classes got dates for Vince and me for the B-Block formal, which was like their version of prom, but with the 11th Grade only. The dance was tons of fun, but one of the exchange students from New Zealand stood up his date on accident because he went to the D-Block (8th Grade) dance by mistake.

A picture of the main quad. 

One of the weekends, Mr. Thomson took the exchange students and his C-Block class on a history field trip to the actual site of the Battle of Rorke's Drift, made popular by the movie Zulu. We did plenty of hikes there, following the path of fleeing British soldiers, and played some fire-ball hockey (field hockey played with a flaming wade of socks soaked in gasoline and held together by metal-mesh).

The hospital from the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

Before we left, Vince and I got one of the greatest possible gifts from South Africa, SNOW! Two days before we left it snowed for the first time at Michaelhouse in the past seven years. All of the students skipped class so that they could play. We had huge snowball fights and built giant snowmen. When we left for the airport two days latter, we were caught in traffic caused by hundreds of people driving to the mountains near Michaelhouse to see snow, since that was the place where it stuck.

Michaelhouse students having fun in the snow.

I would like to thank the Warner Family, Mr. Gioia, and MBA for making this opportunity possible for me. I had a blast in South Africa and an experience that I will never forget. I learned so much about the country and the culture and made tons of friends. I would also like to thank the Truda and Green families for hosting me and any Michaelhouse boys who read this. I had a once-in-a-lifetime experience at Michaelhouse and cannot express my gratitude well enough. To anyone wondering about which exchange to apply for, I highly recommend Michaelhouse. It is a beautiful school filled with wonderful people in a breath-taking country.