World School Wonders
We’re rescripting life as we go, and we hope you’ll join us.
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EPISODES
Trailer
We’re taking a year off to get serious about our education. We’ve quit our jobs (sort of), our brick and mortar education (mostly) and left our suburban lifestyle behind for adventures unknown around the globe.
Episode 12: Experiencing South African Wine
If you love wine, Cape Town, South Africa is a great place to be! But with over 460 wine farms in the Western Cape alone, knowing where to go and how to avoid the typical tourist experience can be a challenge.
In this episode, Jack and Niki share the experience they cultivated in over five-and-a-half months living in Cape Town and visiting dozens of wine farms, from the more commercially successful to those that some South Africans don’t even know about.
Listening for something specific? Here is a guide to the conversation:
00:00 Intro
04:25 Overview of South Africa Wine Growers (Jack’s Classification)
06:36 History of Wine Growing in South Africa
08:26 Wine Regions Visited
12:00 Stellenbosch and Franschhoek Comparison
15:47 Stellenbosh Wine Farms Visited
16:17 Villiera (wine farm with a game drive)
16:55 Babylonstoren (family wine farm experience)
19:15 Rupert & Rothschild (two famous families combine forces)
22:56 Vrede en Lust (great wine with epic mountain views)
26:00 Hartenberg (great lunch in Stellenbosch)
28:29 Swartland Region: Org de Rac (organic wine farm)
31:09 Cederberg (mountain wine growing)
34:30 Other Highly Rated SA Wines (saved for another trip)
35:15 Relatively Low-Cost Way to Import SA Wine into the US (Cape Ardor)
36:00 Constantia Wine Farms Visited
37:23 Silvermist
40:00 Eagle’s Nest (great Shiraz)
43:45 Constantia Glen (best views in Constantia)
46:41 Beau Constantia (with a “loo with a view”)
49:40 Groot Constantia (most historic, famous wine)
55:56 Klein Constantia (smaller competitive version of Groot Constantia)
58:49 Steenberg (2-page tasting menu!)
Editorial Note: We misspoke about two important details in the podcast.
First, the famous wine at Groot Constantia historically called “Constantia Wyn” is now called “Grand Constance.” The competitive version produced by Klein Constantia is called “Vin de Constance.”
Second, the Rothschild family originated in Germany, not France.
COMING SOON: A blog post with photos and links to the “other highly rated wines.”
BONUS CONTENT: Reveler Tours Talks Covid-19 Impact
Covid-19 decimated the travel industry in 2020, but Blaine Smith, Co-Founder of Reveler Tours in Cape Town, South Africa, reveals an unsuspected silver lining that’s at the heart of why his company is so successful.
Episode #11: Celebrating South Africa with Reveler Tours
Using travel agents or tour guides is not always our thing. Our experiences have been hit or miss. That is until we met Blaine Smith, the Co-Founder of Reveler Tours in Cape Town South Africa. Blaine and his partner Ryan have created something different – a company specializing in creating travel EXPERIENCES you’re not likely to find anywhere else.
Whether you’re planning a visit to South Africa or simply looking for travel inspiration, this conversation is for you.
Check out the Reveler Tours website or thumb through their Instagram feed @revelertravel or visit their Facebook page.
Click on the image below for a quick slide show of our epic adventure!
Episode #10: Unpacking Apartheid in South Africa Part 3
We wrap up our conversation with Al by exploring how Apartheid ended and what it was like for South Africans to process the harsh reality of government-sponsored human rights violations.
And, as Niki tries to guide her family through a comparative conversation about race in America, she realizes that such conversations don’t always go as envisioned.
Resource Links:
SA Truth Commission Part 2 (contains disturbing material, please watch with care)
Recommended Reading
(Note: There are dozens of books about Apartheid, including Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela, but these are two Niki read while living in South Africa that were meaningful to her.)
Final Thoughts on Apartheid:
There is a Zulu word, ubuntu, that means “I am, because you are.” Bishop Tutu describes it in his book, and a Cape Town friend mentioned it in conversation once. It’s a South African philosophy about common humanity and connectedness. The word ubuntu is part of the Zulu phrase “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, which literally means that a person is a person through other people.
While the path for South Africa out of Apartheid is complicated, and they by no means have worked through all their issues with race and equality, I think an orientation around ubuntu is how South Africans have been able to progress where they are – peacefully and together.
South Africa is such a model for the entire world.
– Niki, 21 April 2021
Episode #9: Unpacking Apartheid in South Africa Part 2
Join us for the 2nd part in our 3-part conversation with our friend, Al, as he shares what it was like for a white South African male to understand the “real” South Africa and protest against it.
What did white South Africans know and understand about the treatment of non-whites during Apartheid? What was it like to apply for Conscientious Objector status (avoiding South African military service in townships and war zones), and what were the consequences of that status? And how do two 12-year old kids comprehend that story?
Resource Links:
Visiting Robben Island is a must-do experience when visiting Cape Town. But if you can’t go, taking a virtual tour from the Robben Island website can also be impactful.
https://www.robben-island.org.za/
A few photos from our visit (click on a photo to view in gallery mode):
Studying Apartheid in South Africa has provided a valuable opportunity to compare and contrast Civil Rights for non-whites in the United States. Here are some resources we accessed during homeschool as a result of this conversation:
Who were the Black Panthers?
https://www.history.com/topics/civil-rights-movement/black-panthers
Who was MalcomX and what did he advocate (and why?)
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/malcolm-x
While the kids didn’t watch it, the Amazon Prime movie One Night in Miami is a good one for more mature audiences that explores MalcomX’s views. (World School for 4 has no affiliation with Amazon).
For a deeper understanding of the timeline for Civil Rights in the United States:
The Netflix documentary Amend offers a three-hour history of the 14th Amendment and the struggle of non-white American Citizens for equal protection under the law. Following our family conversation in this episode, we watched it in homeschool. If you have Netflix, we highly recommend it.
Episode #8: Unpacking Apartheid in South Africa Part 1
Living in South Africa has allowed us to explore Apartheid and understand what racism looks like in a country other than The United States. In Part 1 of this 3-part series, Niki interviews a close family friend, Al, a white South African male who grew up during Apartheid.
In this episode, Al describes the roots of Apartheid and how the South African government rationalized the policy. Then, Jack and Niki reflect on the conversation with Thom and Emma. How do two 12-year olds view racism? How will Al’s experiences influence our reaction to racism, and what do we get out of studying the uglier parts of history?
These are many of the questions we’re exploring on our journey to being good citizens in a modern world.
Resource Links:
Here are 3 great sources we read and watched to understand the history of Apartheid:
1) Article and short video on Apartheid: https://www.history.com/topics/africa/apartheid
2) Part One of The SA Truth Commission:
3) The movie Cry Freedom (1987) starring Denzel Washington and Kevin Klein regarding the Apartheid activist Steve Biko and the reporter Donald Woods who told his story and had to flee South Africa as a result. We rented it on Amazon Prime (no affiliation).
Episode #7: Bonus Content – Additional Stories and Out-Takes
We left out a few stories from Episode 1 describing what life is like in South Africa, so we thought we’d create a bonus episode to share them.
Jack is a serious jokster, so it’s not surprising that Thom and Emma offer their fair share of humor, too. You might need to listen to Episode 1 to fully understand the jokes. We’re sure you’ll enjoy an additional 10 minutes of fun!.
Episode #7: For Grant – What the World Is Like (South Africa Edition)
Season 2 of World School Wonders has begun! Jack, Niki, Thom, and Emma are back describing what life is like in South Africa for their 7-year old cousin living in Texas.
Some of this may sound boring to a 7-year old, so don’t miss the bonus content and out-takes from this episode
Episode #6: Redefining Education in Albania
In this episode, Niki and Jack are joined by their Airbnb host and friend Klaudjo Kavaja, co-founder and co-host of The Living Education podcast. Listen as they learn about the Albanian education system and how Albanians are still struggling to harness opportunity and reverse the “brain drain” that’s plagued the country since Communism ended in 1991.
Resource Links:
Klaudjo edited their conversation for a podcast episode on The Living Education podcast. We highly recommend listening to all The Living Education podcasts.
Check out the view from Klaudjo’s Airbnb below – this is where we called home while living in Saranda. You can reserve it here!
Episode #5: For Grant – What the World is Like (Albania Edition)
Thom and Emma make a special appearance on this episode, as we’re answering a critical question from our 7-year-old cousin from Texas – what is it like living in different countries and communities around the world? Our answers will give you insight into what two 11-year-olds find important.
Episode #4: Long-Term Travel – The Best of Times and Worst of Times (Part 2)
Jack and Niki share the top SIX things they love about the slow-travel lifestyle. Naturally, the Best of Times list is longer than the Worst of Times list!
Episode #3: Long-Term Travel – The Best of Times and Worst of Times (Part 1)
Long term travel is an exceptional experience to give your family. But preparing to leave the country for an extended period of time isn’t for the faint of heart! In this episode, Jack and Niki share the top five things that stressed them out and provide some helpful tips for anyone considering a similar adventure.
Episode #2: Unearthing World School with Lizz Quain
In this episode, Niki and Jack interview Lizz Quain, a veteran world school mom of 11-year old twins and entrepreneur with Galileo XP, an online self-directed school for world school and home school kids ages 8-18.
Resource Links:
Lizz is extraordinary! You can follow her on Facebook, and don’t forget to check out the self-directed learning curriculum her school Galileo XP offers. There’s inspiration for everyone!
Episode #1: “Why Not!” Is the New “Why” of Travel
In this episode, Niki and Jack share the story of what compelled them to start their global adventure. They also explain the not-so-novel concept of “world school” and what “schooling” looks like for thousands of families following this lifestyle.