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On travel, terror and living to tell the tale
By Bill Maxwell, Columnist, Times Correspondent
Reprinted from the St. Petersburg Times
LA PAZ, Bolivia
Even before I had adjusted to the altitude of the world's highest capital, my hosts and friends, members of a generations-old Bolivian family, hauled me off to a parade. Nearly 1 million people from every South American country and tourists from elsewhere flooded the streets and sidewalks of the central city.
When we left the parade, freeing ourselves from the throng, we had to cross several streets along the parade route and pick our way through lines of other spectators. My La Paz-savvy friends slipped through easily, but two indigenous women shoulder-bumped me as I tried to squeeze between them. That is when I realized that I was a stranger in a remote, Third World land whose customs and etiquette I did not understand.
Watch Out!
By Asia Jade Clifford, 8th Grade
Watch out! A buffalo! Here we are up in the wild. I never thought this would happen to me. I’m Asia, a Southern girl.
South Africa's big scrum, Part III
By Bill Maxwell, Columnist , St. Petersburg Times
Reprinted from the St. Petersburg Times
Race and sport
When I arrived in Cape Town on Sept. 21, newspapers, magazines, radio programs, TV shows and conversations in the airport terminal buzzed with hype about South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks, which was headed to the World Cup in Paris on Oct. 20.
South Africa's big scrum, Part II
By Bill Maxwell, Columnist , St. Petersburg Times
Reprinted from the St. Petersburg Times
Race and employment
Like the rest of South Africa, Cape Town is race-conscious. The past is never far away.
First of all, remember that blacks are the majority in South Africa. Whites and other ethnic groups form a much smaller minority of the population.
South Africa's big scrum, Part I
By Bill Maxwell, Columnist , St. Petersburg Times
Reprinted from the St. Petersburg Times
When I visited South Africa recently, I held no illusions about what I would find. This was my seventh trip to this country, the last time in 2004.
I went there first in 1977, one of the most turbulent years of apartheid. The black consciousness movement had matured into a threat to white rule. Black rioting had become commonplace, and the all-white police force and army were brutalizing and killing black demonstrators. On some mornings, I was too afraid to leave my room in a foreign student house near Johannesburg.
There must be an easier way to get bumbleberry pie!
By Asia Clifford, 7th grade, September 29, 2007
This summer I went to Wyoming and Montana with my grandmother and then drove up to British Columbia, Canada, where I had to go through customs. We waited in a short line of cars and saw signs that were in both English and French.
Horseback Riding in Wyoming
By Asia Clifford, 6th grade, October 25, 2006
This summer I went to Wyoming, and the most spectacular thing I did there was to get caught in a hailstorm while horseback riding! It was looking really cloudy, and we were all prepared for rain. We put on our jackets and started riding. We were about half way up the mountain, and out of nowhere hail showered from the heavens. Not one single drop of rain fell before all of these chunks of hail came bonking us on our heads!
Behold the Beauty of Nature While Backpacking
By Adam Chancey, Santa Fe Community College, April 2, 2006
There is something unique about being surrounded by nature, and when I say surrounded, I mean out in the thick of things—not a gas station or paved road for miles. I think what makes the wilderness special and surprisingly interesting is that one is able to experience an area that is almost completely untouched by man. This primitive oasis allows the beholder to take in everything without being interrupted.
Living in Spain Changed Me Forever
By Laureen Ricks, University of Florida, May 27, 2004
Being a black woman in Sevilla, Spain, generally got me three types of reactions.
First, were curious stares from Spaniards as I walked to my “apartamento,” where I lived with my host family: a grandmother, a mother, two daughters and a mild-mannered collie named Yurrie.
Two 16-year-olds Return to London, Part II
By Karishma and Kashmira Patel, 11th grade, March 9, 2004
Piccadilly Circus is never dull with the spectacular neon lights and crowded streets due to the great variety of cuisine and shops. The Quadrant is an architectural landmark where Regent Street leads into Piccadilly Circus. A neighbor of Piccadilly, Leicester Square, consists of stores, restaurants, movies, street acts, and of course, more neon signs.
Two 16-year-olds Return to London, Part I
By Karishma and Kashmira Patel, 11th grade, February 26, 2004
When you think of New York, the Statue of Liberty often comes to mind. Likewise, the Eiffel Tower with Paris, and the Taj Mahal with India. However, when you think of London, multiple sites are associated with the historical British city: Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Globe Theatre, Westminster Abbey or Big Ben.
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