For those of you in law school, some of you will appreciate the App. Ad. paper that is due this week. It’s a 27 page paper that is due the week we’re in South Africa every year. Last year Bo worked on it all week and this year Abbey and Jeff are working on it. I thought I’d do my part and blog a little tonight while they work on their papers.
Abbey and Jeff have shared experiences they have had as first time South Africa visitors. To have the opportunity to travel back for this competition is really an honor. Today we arrived in Bloemfontein which is the judicial capitol of South Africa. We’re staying in the same bed and breakfast we stayed in last year. It’s this nice house with three bedrooms added on making a sort of wing. It’s run by two of the nicest people you could every meet–Adrian and his wife Hanika (pronounced like the Jewish holiday). They do all they can to make us feel at home.
After spending three nights in a bustling area in Cape Town, staying in a cozy B&B is welcomed. For me it was interesting how different it felt to return to this place. It was so nice to see Hanika and talk to her. Last year she had this tiny puppy that now he is this round Pug that jumps up for some lovin’.
We were picked up by Adrian, an attorney who is still affilated with the law school at the hosting University of the Free State. He and I have kept in touch via Facebook over the past year. It was like catching up with an old friend while we were chatting on the way to the B&B.
Today made me realize even more how important competitions like this really are. They provide opportunity for both education and relationships. The relationships formed make the world a little smaller and make us more interested in what people 8,000 miles away are up to. It gives us the opportunity to go meet the street boys and see how we can help them a little to make their lives easier.
Many people ask, why does your school (in Charlotte) send students all the way to South Africa? First, the experience of learning about a different country’s legal system teaches students creativity and tolerance. Second, having relationships throughout the world makes people realize how similar we are to each other. Finally, it provides an annual opportunity and tradition to give to a community as representatives of our law school.
On Sunday we’ll continue this tradition by spending the day with the street boys like we did last year.
Abbey and Jeff have done so much to prepare themselves for the competition and are really taking in every experience while we’re here. The relationships, education, and tradition continues.
