Sunrise over False Bay, South Africa. Picture taken from my balcony.
Hi Sun Valley learners! I'm so happy to have kids from South Africa reading this blog. I hope you're enjoying it. Thanks for your comments and questions. Keep them coming!
Sunrise over False Bay, South Africa. Picture taken from my balcony.
Hi Cottage Lane students! I've really been enjoying your comments and questions. Having kids from the United States posting on this blog makes me feel like I'm not really so far away from home. Keep it up!
Students in the United States and South Africa: Remember to use capital letters and correct punctuation for easier reading! 
Click here to join me on safari in Tanzania, Africa, or click the links in the sidebar at the right. Click on a picture to expand it. Be patient with the videos. Give them a chance to load.
The mountain in the background is named Table Mountain. Can you tell why? This famous mountain is here in Cape Town, South Africa.
I'm now living in the country of South Africa (the southernmost country on the continent of Africa) for the 2011-2012 academic year. While here, I'm posting photos and information about daily life in South Africa, and information about what it's like being a kid growing up in South Africa. I hope you'll visit this site often, as new information is appearing all the time. Click here to join me in South Africa.
The mountain in the background is named Table Mountain. Can you tell why? This famous mountain is here in Cape Town, South Africa.
Awww! The vervet monkey is so cute! Is that a picture that you took of the vervet monkey?
Yes, I took the picture. The monkey stayed right there because he could see the lunch in my other hand!
That must be so cool living in Africa. Did you see any kangaroos?
There are no kangaroos in Africa, but I saw many of them in Australia when I lived there several years ago. They are awesome animals. Their feet are so big! Is that a favorite animal of yours?
This is an awesome website
What you're doing sounds really cool. I wish one day I could do what your doing.
Is it hard having diffrent time diffrences then we usally do.
The time difference was difficult when I first arrived in South Africa. The clock would tell me it was 7:00 am and time to get up and start the day. However, my body was still on New York time and thought it was 1:00 am! Now that I’ve adjusted, it’s no problem.
That's just how I felt when I went to India this summer. When it was 9:00 pm there, it was 10:30 am (daylight saving time, and in the morning) here. Did all of South Africa have the same time zone throughout the country, or did they have different time zones everywhere? All of India has the same time zone. I thought that was reallly weird because I am used to living here.
Hi Palak! Good to hear from you. How is your grandfather? I hope you had a good time visiting your relatives, despite the heat. Do they have air conditioning? Yes, South Africa is all within one time zone.
About two years ago when I went to South Korea in the summer, it was so hot! In the airplane, it was pretty cool. But the moment I came out into the sun, I literally started to sweat. It's usually very humid there, especially in the summertime. Also, Korea has a 14-hour difference from New York. It is all within one time zone as well.
Thats so cool i wonder how you do all these stuff on your blog
Whoa, I havent checked the blog since the first day of school! Please answer these questions for me:
- When did you leave to go to Tanzania?
- Did you go to one of the national parks?
Hi David! We left for Africa on August 30th. Yes, we went to Serengeti, Tarangire and Ngorongoro National Parks. In the Going on Safari Blog, I just call it “The Serengeti and surrounding area”. There were lots of animals in all of these areas, and I’m glad to know that the Tanzanian government has given them these protected lands. If we had gone to just the Serengeti we would have missed many wonder animal sightings.
Keep in touch! Are you and Mir in the same class?
I hope you are haveing the most wonderful time living in Africa! Do chimpanzees live in Africa? Do kangroos live in Africa, too?
Kangaroos live in Australia. There are none in Africa. That’s interesting, don’t you think? Have you ever wondered why some animals exist on some continents and not others? Have you ever wondered why the same species exists on more than one continent?
Chimpanzees do live in Africa, but not in the areas I was traveling. Jane Goodall is a very famous scientist who studied chimpanzees in the Gombe area of Tanzania for many years. She lived in the jungle and observed their behaviors. It’s because of her studies that people came to realize how intelligent they are and what a complex society they have. You might want to google her to find out more. She’s fascinating!
My mom just told me that kangaroos don't live in Africa. They live in Australia.
What animals do you thing are the loudest?
I think the lion is the loudest. Its roar can be heard 5 miles away! If a person shouts, how far away do you think he can be heard?
I bet kangaroos also live in Africa as well as Australia
Nope. Sorry. There are no kangaroos here in Africa. They are only in Australia.
Wow that must be a lot of fun seeing all of those cool animals up close!
What was the coolest animal you saw when you were on the safari truck?
I thought all of the animals I’ve listed on this blog were super cool!
Hi Ms.Christie-Blick! While on the safari did you ever feel threatened by any of the animals?
Hi Alexandra! The only time I felt a bit threatened was when an elephant did a mock charge at our safari truck. Look at the elephant page and view the video showing the elephant eating very close to the truck. He turns towards us and seems disturbed by our truck being so close. Just as he’s heading straight toward us, I turned off the video and ducked down into the truck! (Good thing, because the woman in our group yelled some swear words.) We thought he was going to ram the truck. With his weight he could tip us over. Robert knew just what to do. He turned on the truck’s engine. Remember that the animals think the truck is another animal. When the elephant heard the “growl” of the engine, he backed off.
Is it really hot in South Africa? How hot is it? In India, it was 95 degrees farenheit at 4:00 in the morning, so imagine how hot it was in the afternoon. Please answer my questions. Thank you.
It is quite cool down here on the southern coast of South Africa. There is always a cool breeze coming off the ocean. In contrast, it’s now very hot in the northern part of the country. Northern South Africa is not near any ocean to help cool the air, and it is closer to the equator. It is spring here now. I’ll see if it gets very hot here during the summer.
Hi, Ms. Christie-Blick! I hope that you are having fun in South Afica! In a typical day for you at South Africa, what is it like? How is it different from life here, in Rockland County? Do you like it better in South Africa or in New York? What was your favorite animal when you were on the safari and why? Do you miss teaching at Cottage Lane? (It misses you!) Sorry for all of the sudden questions. I hope to see you soon!
Hi Yena! Yes! I miss Cottage Lane very much. I especially miss my students, and wonder how they’re doing in 5th grade. I hope they’re remembering everything they learned in 4th and making me proud!
My days here are very different. If I were living here permanently, I’d probably be teaching every day at a school, and then it wouldn’t be so different. Since I’m on leave for the year, I spend much of my time at home on my computer working on the blogs, and preparing for the exchange between Mr. Eckert’s class and Mr. Tuohy’s class (at Sun Valley School in South Africa). I have also been meeting with local teachers and visiting schools. (You’ll see this information on the blog in a little while.) I also set aside time each day to read the local and national newspapers, as they give me much information about what’s happening in the country, and what’s important to South Africans. It’s also been a good time to catch up on my teacher reading. On the weekends, my husband and I go exploring. There are so many places we’ve read about in the guide books, and that people have told us about, that we have a long list of MUST VISIT places. So you see, I’m really enjoying, and benefitting from, my time here. But New York is my home and I always want to return home after I’ve been away for awhile.
No favorite animal. I loved them all! Hope to hear from you again soon.
Your trip sounds like a blast! Keep posting more pictures because i love them! Have fun!
seeing these anaimals are intresing
Is it fun there
Yes, I’m having lots of fun here. I love being out in nature, and I love to hike. There are so many beautiful areas to see here in South Africa! Today it was a beautiful warm, sunny, spring day, so I went for a walk by the seaside. Are you enjoying your fall?
Hi i want to know do you have hospitals for people there because we have so much hospitals here! And also how do some animals take ccare of each other ,That would be cool if you got a animal on camera takeing care of each other !
Hi Natasha. I’m now living in the country of South Africa. Yes, there are hospitals here, just like in the US. There are also stores and churches, houses and office buildings. If I drive an hour to the city of Cape Town, there is even a very large mall. It is only two stories tall, but it has more corridors than the Palisades Mall. It is also much more beautiful inside than the Palisades Mall. It is located in the touristy area of town, so many of the shops have very expensive items for the tourists to spend lots of money.
When I was in the country of Tanzania on safari, I saw many examples of animals taking care of each other. For some examples, see the photos at the bottom of the Giraffe page. See the mother looking after her baby? Look at the Elephant page. See the video of the mother showing her calf how to cross the road? You will see other examples as you view the photos and videos on the animal pages. There are also some good examples in the penguin videos on the South Africa blog. I will keep looking for examples as I come across animals here in South Africa. I agree that seeing animals interacting with each other is fascinating!
Did you have fun on the safari? I really want to go on a safari one day! Were you scared of the lions you saw! What kinds of animals did you see? Have fun on your trip!
what other animals have you seen besides lions giraffes and wildebeets. have a good time on your trip
The other animals are listed in the right sidebar on this blog. Just click on a link and it will take you to information, pictures, and videos. Hope you enjoy them!
Was it scary for you when the lion walked in between the two cars?
Have you seen the Lion King movie since you got there.
No, I’ve been too busy looking for Pride Rock!
I hope yuo are having a lot of fun. I hope I get the oppurtunity to explorer nature like you are doing. Can you please answer these quuestions.
Were you scared of the lion when it walked betweeen the two cars?
What is your favorite animal so far and why?
Thanks Brendan. No, I wasn’t scared. (See additional comments on the Lion page.) I have no favorite animal. Each was unique and special. Do you have a favorite?
Hows Chirpy doing?
Chirpy is just fine. He says “Chirp!” to you, Matt. That means he misses you too.
have any lions got to close to you and if they did did you screem?\
do you miss me
Yes, Evan, I miss you!!! I stayed in the safari truck while “out in the bush” (as they say), in Tanzania. It is not safe to go walking in areas where there are lions roaming around. There are no lions roaming around where I live in South Africa. There are some in northern South Africa, so the government made that area a conservation area to protect the animals. It is called Kruger Park. Perhaps I’ll be able to go there before I leave South Africa.
What kind's of animals did you see in South Africia. I hope you are having a fun time. What is your favorite animal in South Africia. What kind's of animals did you see in the safari. I wounder how intresting it is to see all the different animals i wish i was there with you.
When you have a chance, look at the animal pages by clicking on the links in the right sidebar. You’ll see pictures and videos of most of the animals I saw. Yes, it was a very interesting trip!
It is so amazing that you saw an elephant. I want to see an elephant!
Do you miss me? Its Matt your favorite student.
Hi Matt! Yes, I miss you!!!
why do zebras have tripes?
were any of the hienas laughing?
Yes, see Laughing Hyena page and Gross but Fascinating page and comments.
the elephant and its baby was amazing
What kind of animals did you see at the Safari. I went on the Safari in Six Flags I saw lots of animals and signs that had iintresting facts about the animal . Was it scary when the Loin walked between the cars I would be very scared. Whats your favorite animal now since you seen a lot now. Have you made new friends. How do you like the jewelry that is there. Were you grossed out by the bugs on the walls.
In a safari an OSTRICH was pecking at the window
What safari was this, Emma? That must have been funny. We saw some ostriches while on safari, but they all stayed far away from us.
I thought it was cool when the lion went in beetween the cars because he was so sedate and calm!
I went to central america and a monkey was trying to steal my moms purse!
Were you ever scared for your life when the lions or hyenas walked by.
We always felt safe. We trusted our expert guide from Thomsons Safaris to keep us safe.
Were you afraid or sedate when the lion was walking between the cars?
We were EXCITED to see these beautiful beasts up close! We felt safe inside the safari truck.
I wasnt in your class but this blog is cool
Hi Ms.Christie-Blick! While on the safari did you ever feel threatened by any of the animals?
Thanks Jenna. We felt very safe on safari because we had an expert guide.
It's amzaing to see all of these animals that you saw. I can't beleive you saw loins!
Hello Ms. Christie-Blick, we were wondering if it is scary seeing all these wild animals up close? Also, were you afraid of the lion coming so close to your car? Finally, what was your reaction when you saw the amazing animals up close?
Thank you,
Megan, Tori, and Keira
I loved seeing the animals! I wasn’t afraid because I was in the safari truck. I also knew that our guide was an expert and he could keep us safe. Some of the photos I took with a zoom lens. That means the animals in some of the pictures look closer than they really were.
Hi Ms. Christie-Blick! It's your former student Andrea. Remember me? I hope you're doing well. Are your students having fun in class? I miss you so much. Also I'm in the middle school.(not saying I'm in the middle school NOW, but i've gotten into it). Thank you so much and Happy Holidays.
Andrea
Hi Andrea! It's so good to hear from you! I hope you're enjoying middle school. I'm sure you're working hard, because you've always been a diligent student. I don't have my own class this year since I'm in South Africa, but I'm enjoying visiting other teachers' classes. I'm picking up some GREAT ideas that I'll be able to use back at Cottage Lane next year. I hope you'll keep visiting this blog, as new pages are being uploaded every week. Please tell the other kids from our old class to come visit this site AND to leave me a message. I miss you and the others! Have a WONDERFUL holiday!
Greetings from Princess Elisabeth Station, Antarctica! It was wonderful to see you in Cape Town last month, and I look forward to seeing where in the world our paths will cross next. Have a wonderful holiday season enjoying the summer sun.
-Katie
hi
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! 2012 here we come! Happy Holidays!!
Thanks Madison! Merry Christmas to you as well! Enjoy your vacation!
Merry Xmas everyone!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thanks Alexandra! All the best to you and your family for 2012!
Hello Mrs. Christie Blick hope you had a wonderful X-mas and a happy new year. 2012!
Thanks James! Same to you!
I wish you could fit us into your suitcase!
how is your trip?
Fantastic! I’ve seen so many amazing things, and I’m learning new things every day. That’s why I love to travel!
hi Mrs.christie- blick have you seen any weird or poisonis bugs
The weirdest insect I’ve seen is a large grasshopper that was bright orange and black. It was much larger than our North American grasshopper.
Hi Ms.Cristie-Blick, did you see any lions on one of your safais.
if you did or do can you post a picture of one.
Hi Dylan. Yes, I saw several lions while on safari in the country of Tanzania. Look at the sidebar on the right of this blog. Find the Lions page and click on it. You will see some of the pictures I took of the lions.
Hi Ms. Cristie-Blick! I hope you are having the best time in Africa!
I have a question for you… are there any ducks or turtles in Africa? If so, what kind?:)
Hi Carly. There are many different species of duck here. To see pictures of some of them go to this website: http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/birds/anatidae/index.htm . To see turtle pictures, go to the website: http://www.oceansafrica.com/turtles.htm . Notice that all of the turtles have flippers to swim. The tortoises are the ones with legs, because they live on land.
If it was 5:00 hear what time will it be there in Africa
During your winter months, we’re 7 hours ahead. When it’s 5:00 in New York, it’s 12:00 in South Africa.
A few days ago, when I was at Sun Valley Primary School here in South Africa, the Grade 4 students asked me the same question. They found it very strange to think that at the same moment they were packing up to end the school day, the New York children were just waking up to begin their day!
Hello i'll love to hear more
is there any different types of food in africa that we don't have in new york
Because both New York and Cape Town have immigrants from all over the world, you can get food that’s typical of many other countries: Italian pizza, Greek gyros, Mexican tacos, etc. Africa does has some different animals than we have in the United States, so there are some meats that are popular here that I don’t usually see in the U.S. Many are protected, so they can no longer be killed and eaten by people. However, I do see ostrich, antelope, and buffalo on the menu at many restaurants. There are ostrich farms here (just as we have chicken farms in the United States). Since we live near the ocean, there’s lots of seafood for sale in the markets and in the restaurants. There are also some root vegetables (tubers really) that taste similar to our potato, but different. Since it’s summer here now in February, there are lots of summer fruits in the markets: watermelon, nectarines, mangoes, papayas, spanspek (similar to our cantaloupe) – love them!
It must have been awsome to see the cheetah's
cool
Hi Ms Christie-Blick! I hope you are having an awesome time in Africa!
Hi Angus! I AM having an awesome time! Thanks. I think about you and the others often. How’s it going?
Hi Ms. Christie-Blick. Hope you're having a great time in South Africa and Tanzania.I got number one in the school for World Maths Day but our class didn't.
I’m so proud of you, Michael! Good for you! I’m glad you’re still enjoying math. I sat in on a 4th grade class last week here in South Africa. The children were reviewing how to round numbers, just like 4th graders in the USA!
Do you see alot of tutels in yuor tripe in afiricia
I’ve seen some tortoises walking along the road when we’re in the countryside. They have really beautiful decorations on their shells.
Hi Ms. Christie-Blick! How are you? I bet your having a blast! What's the cutest animal you've seen there?Can't wait to see more pictures from your adventure! Have Fun!
Hi Joanna. I think the cutest animal in Tanzania was the baby elephant. I loved watching the way it played, used its trunk and flapped its big ears!
I‘ve gone on Safari and I‘ve seen new animals like buck, impalas, and sunbirds and giraffes and buffalo. We were right by one once and you could feed them. And there was a hyena and wild boars but you could not feed them. We had lots of fun. We try to go once a year.
When I went to a game reserve ,I saw lots of lions and cubs.We drove past a giraffe eating leaves.It was so funny because we saw a hippo crossing the road.It was so slow.We saw a zebra coming to our car.It put its head in the window.We all stroked it but then it ran away.We saw monkeys in the tree .It was a really fun safari.
`So far we have learned about maps and how to use a legend. We have learned were north, east, south and west is. If you want to know where east is, just look where the sun rises and you will find east. I like learning about maps. Out of all the work we have done, I would choose maps. I really enjoy learning about maps!
If I could go on safari and learn about an animal I would learn about the zebras and why it has stripes. Did you ever find out why zebras have stripes? I bet safari is cool. I wish I could go on safari some day.
I’m having a lot of fun doing map work and learning about north, south, east and west. We learned about the symbols and we to draw our own ones for a tree, sheep, person, dam and a train. It was a lot of fun answering questions on map work and where the shops are, and what street they are on and what is sold there
When I went to a game reserve ,I saw lots of lions and cubs.We drove past a giraffe eating leaves. It was so funny because we saw a hippo crossing the road.It was so slow.We saw a zebra coming to our car.It put its head in the window.We all stroked it but then it ran away. We saw monkeys in the tree . It was a really fun safari.
Going on Safari has been my dream, I’ve tried to persuade my parents into doing it. Seeing gazelles grazing in the grass and giraffes drinking in waterholes. I suppose I have gone on Safari once, but that was hardly felt exciting. I’d like to see a hippo “yawning” and a lion lazing about. Animals are my world! I’d like to go to the Karoo one day (and finally go on Safari).
A good student looks like a person who always keeps their books neat and tidy. It’s a person who keeps his or her hair neat and gelled up. A person who likes to have a neat uniform. It can also be a person who takes pride in his or her work. Its a student who is a pleasure to have in the classroom. A person who makes an effort to come to school early every day.
Hi Ms.Christie Blick
Im jose from Ms.Vega Cabrera now i know more english. I hope you are having fun in south Africa so bye
Hi Jose! Good to hear from you! I hope you’re having a good year in 5th grade! (I changed your last name to just your initial since kids don’t put their last names on the Internet.) I miss you and the other kids from our science class!
What have I missed? I feel like I have no idea whats going on. I have not been on your blog in a long time. After Mr. Tanenbaum told me about the school I was shocked. I could not belive tnat all of the grades in one small and pretty school. I was also suprised at the school uniforms. I can't belive how comfortable they look. I always thought uniforms were wolly, itchy sweaters and only stuck up strict, recess-free schools had them. I guess I'm wrong.
Hi Mrs. Christie Blick! Its Megan I had you in 2009 but remembered you were going to South Africa. After looking at your pages I could tell you are having a great time! I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in South Africa and I will come visit when you get back. Have fun!
Hi Mrs. Christie Blick! Its Megan I had you in 2009 . I rememeber you mentioning you were going to South Africa when I would come back and visit so I decided to look at your page. You look like your having a great time there, and learning alot of new things. I hope you continue to have a great time and will have alot of stories to share when you get back. I cant wait to visit you again. Enjoy!
Hi Megan! Thanks for visiting. I’ll look forward to your visit! I hope you’re having a good year.
Hi. I hope you are having a great time!!!! Btw chirpy is SOOOOOO cute!!
hi!!!
Hi.I hope you are having a great time!!! What has been your favorite thing in South Africa???? Btw Chirpy is SOOOOO cute!!!!!
Hi Fiona. I have many favorites: the people, the animals, the beautiful scenery! I’ve just returned from a conference in northern South Africa, and had the pleasure of talking with several people from South Africa, as well as from the other African countries of Kenya and Uganda. Can you find those countries on the map of Africa? It was very interesting talking with them, hearing their opinions, and learning about their lives.
I love this website its so awesome.
Thanks Taylor. It’s great to have a South African kid join the site!