Glee Club South Africa Tour - Day 10
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
After a magnificent breakfast at the hotel, we boarded the coaches for our final day of the tour. Our first stop was the Apartheid Museum, which opened in 2001.
Apartheid, which means separateness, was a system of legalized racial segregation enforced by the National Party South African government. The legislation classified South Africans into racial groups.
We were each given a ticket, “white” or “non-white,” which represented the feeling of separateness, as our group was split into two lines to enter the museum.
One room inside the museum bears only nooses. Each noose represents a political assassination during the apartheid.
Today we visited Soweto, short for South Western Townships. Even though seeing the housing conditions was an eye opening experience for us, the people of Soweto seemed happy and optimistic. Many smiled and waved as we passed by.
After our Soweto tour the Glee Club stopped at Wandie’s Place for some authentic African cuisine.
The walls in the restaurant were decorated with business cards of customers through the years.
Outside the restaurant, we were impressed by this local man’s incredible flexibility.
After lunch, the Glee Club performed for patients from the children’s cancer ward of the largest hospital in Soweto.
Sharing our music with these South African children has been a highlight of the tour.
Senior Corey Lee with a new friend.
Freshman Jason Young makes sure the hospital staff is appreciated with a little ‘Them There Eyes.’
The Glee Club teaches the audience ‘By the Light.’
Before it was time to board the bus, we presented the children with coloring books, games and CDs.
Some of the children were in tears as we said goodbye. It was an experience we’ll never forget.
Our farewell dinner was held at Moyo’s Restaurant in Johannesburg. Moyo is the Swahili word for soul. We descended three staircases to the basement.
The restaurant is set over five levels and we had the entire bottom floor to ourselves.
Glee Club guest Emilie Crabb washes up before the meal. Moyo’s brought around a wash basin to each person.
Our AHI travel director, John Powell, gets his face painted.
Gerritt VanderMeer, interim director of the Glee Club, performs a song from ‘The Little Mermaid,’ which is the same one he sang when he auditioned to be part of the Glee Club.
Dr. Tom Robinson, Vice President for Student Services and interim director of PMO, poses for a picture with his lovely wife Nancy during our farewell dinner.
The night ended with the Moyo restaurant staff performing Shoshaloza for the Glee Club, family and friends.
We have had an amazing tour full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to represent PMO, Purdue, the state of Indiana and the United States during our performance tour of South Africa. A special thank you to all of our families, PMO alumni and PMO Club members for your generous support of our program. Once more from South Africa, HAIL PURDUE!
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