South
African culture impresses Maxson
By Kandace Hsu
On-line Forty-Niner
When
Sylvia Maxson stepped off the plane in Johannesburg,
South Africa, she had no idea what she was
in for.
Maxson, a Cal State Long Beach professor
and President Robert Maxson’s wife, received
the Fulbright Award from the Fulbright-Hayes
Seminar Abroad Program in April to study
and do research on the communities and people
in South Africa. She spent almost a month
preparing a research proposal to submit
and waited more than seven months before
she found out that she was leaving for South
Africa in July.
“The trip was amazing,” Maxson said. “It
was the most amazing thing I have ever done.”
Her trip began with a flight to Athens,
Ohio, where she met the 15 other team members
at Ohio University for a two-day orientation.
From Ohio, the team flew to Atlanta, Ga.,
before finally arriving in Johannesburg,
where the adventure began.
“Every day was different from start to finish,”
Maxson said. “There was no repetition and
every day was better than the day before.”
The team continued from Johannesburg to
other cities such as Pretoria, Gauteng Province,
Nwazulu-Nata, Cape Town and Mpumalanga where
they visited schools, hospitals, churches,
government buildings and other historic
sights.
“We called ourselves the White Rhinos,”
said Maxson. “Because white rhinos eat 17
hours a day and we felt like we were eating
our way across Africa.”
Maxson said she observed the differences
between the school systems in Africa and
the United States, as well as the attitude
of the citizens. The one thing that she
was impressed with was the hope that everyone
had.
The women of South Africa also left a memorable
impression on Maxson. She was amazed at
the strength they had to withstand discrimination
and continue their roles as a mothers and
wives.
“Not only did the women fulfill their roles
in society,” Maxson said. “But they would
do extra and do anything they could to make
a little extra money to help the family
out.”
The White Rhinos were always on the move.
“I did not stay in the same place for more
than three days,” Maxson said. “And the
people were so warm and kind. From the poor
to the elite, everyone was welcoming and
gracious.”
Maxson and the other researchers stayed
with host families that lived in Zulu huts
and fancy hotels as they traveled around
South Africa. They met all sorts of people
from children in orphanages to Nelson Mandela.
“It was an incredible experience staying
in different places, meeting new people
and eating new things,” Maxson said.
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