Democracy Prep Endurance High School

Today we arrived at Welgedacht, a wildlife reserve where we came closer to some animals than we ever have before! We were fascinated by the majesty of the lions especially (and can currently hear them roaring in the distance from the safety of our camp).

We ended our last night by singing karaoke and celebrating Raymond’s birthday! What a great way to close our trip!

We had an amazing last day in South Korea. We started with heartfelt goodbye to our sister school, JFLH. We then headed to a Buddhist temple where we made prayer beads and meditated.

What an eclectic last day in Johannesburg! We started off by making a trip to a collection of caves an hour outside of the city, as well as the Cradle of Humankind, which is a UNESCO site where some of the oldest human remains ever have been discovered. After some shopping (and some haggling) at a market in the city, we all got dressed up for a fancy dinner at Moyo where we celebrated Johanna’s birthday!

DPE and JFHS scholars learn a KPop dance routine!

#DPEinSouthKorea

Johannesburg, Day 2, Part 2: After lunch, we got to stop by and tour the gorgeous campus of Sacred Heart College (for clarity’s sake, it is a K-12 school, not a university like in the U.S.!). We then spent time with the students in the Three2Six program, through which underprivileged children - often refugees who cannot attend normal schools for a variety of reasons - are provided with a few hours of schooling each day. It’s been a wonderful trip, but this was by far the highlight. The children came to us full of energy, ready to play games, read books, and have spontaneous dance parties!

Johannesburg, Day 2, Part 1: We spent the first half of our day in different parts of Soweto, learning about the history of this iconic township’s place in the struggle against apartheid. First, we heard about the South African Bill of Rights while studying different statues to represent each of those rights. Next, we headed to the Hector Peterson Museum, and learned about the tragic event in which the 13-year-old Hector Peterson was killed during a protest. We closed out the morning with a lovely visit to the former home of Nelson Mandela.

The scholars got to meet their peers at DPE’s sister school, Jeonnam Foreign High School, in Naju, South Korea.

We closed out Day 1 in Johannesburg with some excellent Braai (South African barbecue) at Chaf Pozi! We were served a massive plate of grilled meats, along with bowls of cornmeal, beans, and cole slaw, to eat from family-style. Needless to say, by the end we were stuffed.

Day 1 in Johannesburg was perhaps the most important of our trip, as we spent a few hours at the Apartheid Museum. Equal parts haunting & moving, this was an extraordinary experience, complete with eclectic exhibits, videos, and actual pieces of history.

The team in action!

Taehyun Seon Saeng Nim taught us how to cook our favorite Korean dishes— Bulgogi and Kimchi Pancakes!

What a close out to our time in Cape Town! For the afternoon, we all drove up to the top of Signal Hill for some beautiful views. Afterward, we split into two groups - one went on a walking tour of the city including a public garden, while the other hiked to the top of Lion’s Head. Finally, after a dinner in which we celebrated Dominique’s birthday, we were treated to a private screening of the Academy Award-winning South African film, Tsotsi. Of course, the screening wasn’t complete until we got our bags of popcorn and candy!

We visited Changdeok Palace in our traditional hanboks.

Day 3 in Cape Town: Unfortunately, our Robben Island tour was canceled, but we more than made up for it this morning with some exploring around Cape Town! We met puppies, played life-size chess (shout out to Harry Potter fans) and walked around a market for some souvenir shopping. Excited to see more of this wonderful city over the rest of the day!

We traveled an hour from Seoul to the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) separating South and North Korea. It was a sobering experience that made what we learn in class real. We hope for a peaceful unification of the Koreas.