I’m back in the US – currently sitting in the Detroit airport. I’m too cheap to buy the internet here ($7.95/hour?? Seriously?!) and have about 20 min til boarding to Cincinnati. Silly me forgot my US phone charging in South Africa. Bah… frustrating. I hope all works out and Pete’s not trying to reach me telling me he has an emergency (erm, skateboards on sale or so?) and can’t pick me up.
I’m REALLY looking forward to seeing my friends. I’ve missed them mucho. However, I’ve got the heart tug thing going on already… I’m feeling slightly over emotional (can you be SLIGHTLY and OVER emotional at the same time?) and am already reminiscing about what I experienced the past 2 months. I had this sudden urge to bawl on the passenger next to me when we landed, haha.
What I’ll miss:
The Kitchen’s Love Sandwiches and salads
Bobouti
Walking everywhere (and everywhere being walkable)
Meeting people from all over the world on a daily basis
Meeting different people from all over South Africa
Being internet deprived (yes… because I spent so much more time on other things, like writing, drawing, reading, socializing, discovering the city)
Zola’s car rides into the townships and to my meetings
Watching World Cup games with friends at Fanfest/3 stories/bars
It being acceptable to be completely dressed in fan gear when going to work
Being called “sis”
Trying out a lot of chocolates not sold in the US
Helena’s pancakes
My flexible work schedule (not having to use an alarm!)
Ikamva mamas loving to hold my hand
Randomly running into people all over Cape Town
Reading the news headlines tacked onto street posts
Rooibos tea when I get into work in the morning
Reading in the Company Gardens
Using the internet at bars and cafés
The people at Ikamva
The new friends from Cape Town
…I realize a lot of them are foods… ha. Shows where my passion is ;)
I’ll be back at work on Monday – crazy how quickly things will go back to normal. Time to catch up on everything I’ve missed out!
P.s.
OH! ALSO! I got to see my mommy in Amsterdam Schiphol airport for a whole 5 minutes (I had a tight layover there and she got there 2 days ago). So sweet. I miss her a lot too, so it was good to see her again, even if it was just short and sweet.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
My 6 Day African Adventure
I came back from my 6 day long trip to JoBurg, Mozambique, and Swaziland last night. Wow. Just… wow. Asmaa and I used every minute of this trip to its max so that it actually felt like this trip was 10 days long. Without further ado…
Day 1/2 – JoBurg
Our flight left at 9:30 pm and we got there close to midnight. Asmaa’s friend Moekitse (sp?) and his friend picked us up from the airport. Our bus to Mozambique wasn’t leaving until 8 am… Mission? Stay up all night. Mission accomplished: They showed us around the various parts of the city at night, saw the art district with all the beautiful graffiti murals (didn’t take pictures… :( next time), headed to Melville for some bars and more bars, then set out to try to make it to the top of a hill in time for the sunrise, which was harder than it sounds. We made it. Poor Moekitse and his friend were exhausted, but the view was spectacular enough to stay awake for it. It was getting close to 7, so they dropped us off at the bus station.
Day 2 – trip to Maputo and first night there
So, Asmaa and I didn’t get our visas for Moz ahead of time because the consulate in Cape Town told us that if we got them at the border, they’d be cheaper (R175 vs R600). However, the bus company won’t let you ON the bus all the way to Maputo if you don’t already have a visa, so we bought our ticket to the border, thinking we’d catch a minibus from there. Asmaa made friends with the bus people and it turns out that recently the visas at the border are ALSO now R600. They told us they would wait 20 min for us to try and get the visa and get back on the bus to Maputo. At the border, Asmaa and I, along with a couple other tourists, hauled ass to get this done. There was a guy who “helped” us by cutting the queues and filling out our papers (I had read about this… of course they want to get compensated for their efforts). I had told him I wasn’t going to pay him from the beginning and didn’t need his help, so when all was finished and Asmaa and I didn’t pay him, he threw a hissy. Oh well. We made it back on the bus (they had threatened to leave us already) and made it to Maputo at around 5 pm. We had made friends with a Mozambican named James, who invited us to dinner at his house with his family the next day. We had also made friends with Matias (one of the other tourists trying to get a visa), who didn’t have a place to stay, so I suggested he ask our couchsurfing host, which worked out. Emanuel, our gracious host, picked us up, got some food, and headed back to his place. He informed us that there was a Brazilian party in town that night, so off we went (Asmaa and I were crying a little on the inside due to our lack of sleep). At the party, we ate Brazilian food, drank caipirinhas, and learned how to dance fojo (sp?). It was a fun night and after our feet were worn out and our minds almost were incapable of working from being so tired, we headed back to sleep.
Day 3 – Inhaca Island and Isla Portugesa
Woke up at 6 am in order to catch the 7:30 am ferry to Inhaca. Matias and Emanuel joined us and after a mad dash in the morning, we got there just in time. The ferry trip was delightful – the sun was shining and Asmaa and I cozied up outside on the deck and passed out for a little while. The ferry ride was about 2 hours long and the views were spectacular. We even saw dolphins! Since the waters were too shallow to dock, we had to hop into a smaller motor boat to get to the dock. And at the dock, security officers insisted we pay them to get ON to the island. This is ridiculous. As James had called it, we were getting “skin taxed”. MTC200 for the ferry = awesome. Then MTC15 for the motor boat (uh, ok, shouldn’t that be included?), MTC100 for “entering the island”. No. I walked straight past them and ignored their calls. We met a group of Brazilians on the boat who suggested we go to Isla Portugesa, which is right next to Inhaca. I had read how beautiful it was and totally uninhabited. So off we went (another R100 per person). Goodness… as I said, totally uninhabited, completely peaceful. Just endless beaches and plants growing straight out of the sand. I found what I needed and plopped down my towel and absorbed. (Side note: Emanuel is a chiropractor and masseuse… which really came in handy at this point, haha.) After a couple of hours, headed back to Inhaca and got some overly priced lunch there (eh, figures). Heading back to the boat, the “security officers” once again stopped us and wouldn’t let the boat leave until we paid up. They spoke no English, and my Spanish wasn’t really helping the situation, so frustrated, we finally gave up and coughed up the money. It wasn’t even that it was much (MTC100 ~= $5) BUT IT WAS THE PRINCIPLE, DARN IT! I later found out that the MTC100 was only necessary if we had entered the bio reserve in the middle of the island, which we didn’t. Oh well. They have to make money on an island some how. Warm day and lovely ferry ride back, we got to Maputo during the sunset. Got some groceries and Luciana (a lovely Brazilian lady) made us dinner at Emanuel’s complete with chocolate fondue dessert (that’s right, I’m salivating just thinking about it). Afterwards, we headed to Nucleo d’Arte, an amazing venue with live music, art, and bar. It was the first place in Maputo that I saw such an eclectic mix of people – all races, all ages, all types. Another wonderful night in Mozambique, then we headed back home for some sleep.
Day 4 – Discovering Maputo and our chapa adventure to Swaziland
Got to sleep in a little today and eventually made it out to go figure out where and when we could take a chapa bus (van type bus) to Swaziland. The last one leaves at 6pm, so we would aim to take the one at 5. We’re meeting James at Costa del Sol at 1, so we take a tuk tuk there. We walk to his house and are introduced to his beautiful family. The area we are at is outside the city, right along the beach, but perhaps a poorer community. While his house has a barren yard and simple features, I think they are relatively quite well off (he and his wife have traveled the world extensively for work). We make friends with James’s son, Raul, and his friend Fernando, the artist. We walk to his “studio” (a small room in his mother’s house) where he shows us his amazing art and a mural he did for a neighbor. He hopes to one day go to art school. We then head back. They buy fresh crab and calamari that JUST came out of the fishing boats and we have a feast. Poor Asmaa, my vegetarian friend, is horrified when they show her the live crab (and his leg falls off in the process) and then crack it open once it’s cooked. Won’t lie though… it was delicious. Now it’s past 3 and we need to start hurrying. Raul takes us back to the chapa stop (not before we give in and spend most of our money on arts & crafts at an outdoor market). We make the bus that’s to leave at 6 pm, but doesn’t end up leaving until 6:30. It’s supposed to be a 2 hour ride and Asmaa’s friend Sabe would be waiting for us in Manzini starting at 8:30.
So. The chapa trip. Perhaps the most memorable portion of the trip. Of course first we get “skin taxed” and they try to get an additional R20 out of us for our bags, which we refuse. We get to the border and get our passport stamps. Then, we wait an additional 2 hours for them to go through the giant bags of clothes (I’m talking bags as big as me) and count each article (each article gets taxed R3) and to check for drugs. KC, a Swazi guy we make friends with on the chapa, tells us that these clothes had been donated during the flood disaster in Mozambique a few years ago. Instead of the government giving them to those who need it, they sell it off for a profit to those who then resell it in Swaziland. Another example of corruption in Mozambique. After the 2 hours, they pack up and we literally drive a few yards past the border and get stopped again. A guard asks me to open my window and shortly after asks me to be his wife (I would get free trips back home, he promised, haha). Apparently his flirtations saved us another inspection, a lady on the bus told me. The victory doesn’t last long because not another mile later, we get stopped AGAIN. There’s another chapa bus in front of us that’s getting inspected (again). The passengers in our bus pass me money to give to the driver for a bribe to get us through faster. Since I’m anti-corruption, I felt somewhat dirty just being the transferee, ha. The driver gives the guard R150, but we can’t leave until the bus infront has gotten fully inspected. The guard retorts that R150 cannot be split evenly (uh.. what? Hi math) and that they want R200. We still are forced out of the chapa and searched (dude, it’s cold outside!) and while Asmaa and I were THIS close to objecting, we figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to talk to men with guns in the dark of the night like that. So, a few hours and a bunch of inappropriate comments later, we are off once again. We finally make it to Manzini at 12:30 am. Poor Sabe. While this adventure may sound inconvenient, I kind of loved the experience in hindsight. We got to experience the REAL Mozambique and Swaziland, plus get to know some amazing characters in the chapa bus and learn about corruption first hand. KC was an incredible person to meet with the frustrations of his country on his heart. Thank you for informing us.
Day 5 – Swaziland!
Sabe and his sister live on an incredible farm on the top of a hill that they inherited in Mbabane. We woke up, met his sister and Jen (a US masters student doing her dissertation), and then we saw the views. The rolling hills, the calm life. Sabe just graduated from studying law in London and has come back to his homeland because he wants to help his country. Swaziland is Africa’s last absolute monarchy and it has shaped them well overall. There’s little turbulence and less poverty than its neighboring countries. Sabe takes us to a breathtaking restaurant, with the plan to take a horse ride in a game reserve after. Unfortunately, we took our time too much and missed the last horse ride at 4. So instead, we toured around a little, met some friends, and headed back up to the farm house for a night of board games, wine, friends, and a fire. Things got competitive with Pictionary, 30 Seconds, and Mafia and political debates (isn’t there a rule this isn’t allowed to be discussed during parties? But the wine helped).
Day 6 – last of Swazi and racing to JoBurg
Sabe is so amazing that he’ll DRIVE us to JoBurg (usually a 8 hour chapa ride). Our flights at 4:30pm, so we need to leave BY 11, the latest. Asmaa meets her good friend’s mom and so Sabe and I get breakfast at an art store/restaurant. It’s past 11 now and I’m trying to not show my nervousness since Sabe told us to trust him he’d get us to the airport in time. Get gas, get munchies, and head back to South Africa. This time, the border stop goes quickly and without much ado, we’re on our way. Some more great conversation (I act as the “translator”/peace keeper a lot because sometimes things get lost in translation with English not being Asmaa’s first language), and while we left at 12, we made it to the airport at 3! So back to Cape Town we go…
This was an overly exciting trip. While we definitely weren’t in each place long enough, at least we got a taste (and a taste that makes me want to come back some day). Now, I have a week left in Cape Town, which is the perfect time to catch up on sleep and finish doing (hopefully) all the things I have left to do. Of course these day accounts were only snippets and I can’t fill it with all the wonderful people we met along the way. But thank you, Africa, for this.
Day 1/2 – JoBurg
Our flight left at 9:30 pm and we got there close to midnight. Asmaa’s friend Moekitse (sp?) and his friend picked us up from the airport. Our bus to Mozambique wasn’t leaving until 8 am… Mission? Stay up all night. Mission accomplished: They showed us around the various parts of the city at night, saw the art district with all the beautiful graffiti murals (didn’t take pictures… :( next time), headed to Melville for some bars and more bars, then set out to try to make it to the top of a hill in time for the sunrise, which was harder than it sounds. We made it. Poor Moekitse and his friend were exhausted, but the view was spectacular enough to stay awake for it. It was getting close to 7, so they dropped us off at the bus station.
Day 2 – trip to Maputo and first night there
So, Asmaa and I didn’t get our visas for Moz ahead of time because the consulate in Cape Town told us that if we got them at the border, they’d be cheaper (R175 vs R600). However, the bus company won’t let you ON the bus all the way to Maputo if you don’t already have a visa, so we bought our ticket to the border, thinking we’d catch a minibus from there. Asmaa made friends with the bus people and it turns out that recently the visas at the border are ALSO now R600. They told us they would wait 20 min for us to try and get the visa and get back on the bus to Maputo. At the border, Asmaa and I, along with a couple other tourists, hauled ass to get this done. There was a guy who “helped” us by cutting the queues and filling out our papers (I had read about this… of course they want to get compensated for their efforts). I had told him I wasn’t going to pay him from the beginning and didn’t need his help, so when all was finished and Asmaa and I didn’t pay him, he threw a hissy. Oh well. We made it back on the bus (they had threatened to leave us already) and made it to Maputo at around 5 pm. We had made friends with a Mozambican named James, who invited us to dinner at his house with his family the next day. We had also made friends with Matias (one of the other tourists trying to get a visa), who didn’t have a place to stay, so I suggested he ask our couchsurfing host, which worked out. Emanuel, our gracious host, picked us up, got some food, and headed back to his place. He informed us that there was a Brazilian party in town that night, so off we went (Asmaa and I were crying a little on the inside due to our lack of sleep). At the party, we ate Brazilian food, drank caipirinhas, and learned how to dance fojo (sp?). It was a fun night and after our feet were worn out and our minds almost were incapable of working from being so tired, we headed back to sleep.
Day 3 – Inhaca Island and Isla Portugesa
Woke up at 6 am in order to catch the 7:30 am ferry to Inhaca. Matias and Emanuel joined us and after a mad dash in the morning, we got there just in time. The ferry trip was delightful – the sun was shining and Asmaa and I cozied up outside on the deck and passed out for a little while. The ferry ride was about 2 hours long and the views were spectacular. We even saw dolphins! Since the waters were too shallow to dock, we had to hop into a smaller motor boat to get to the dock. And at the dock, security officers insisted we pay them to get ON to the island. This is ridiculous. As James had called it, we were getting “skin taxed”. MTC200 for the ferry = awesome. Then MTC15 for the motor boat (uh, ok, shouldn’t that be included?), MTC100 for “entering the island”. No. I walked straight past them and ignored their calls. We met a group of Brazilians on the boat who suggested we go to Isla Portugesa, which is right next to Inhaca. I had read how beautiful it was and totally uninhabited. So off we went (another R100 per person). Goodness… as I said, totally uninhabited, completely peaceful. Just endless beaches and plants growing straight out of the sand. I found what I needed and plopped down my towel and absorbed. (Side note: Emanuel is a chiropractor and masseuse… which really came in handy at this point, haha.) After a couple of hours, headed back to Inhaca and got some overly priced lunch there (eh, figures). Heading back to the boat, the “security officers” once again stopped us and wouldn’t let the boat leave until we paid up. They spoke no English, and my Spanish wasn’t really helping the situation, so frustrated, we finally gave up and coughed up the money. It wasn’t even that it was much (MTC100 ~= $5) BUT IT WAS THE PRINCIPLE, DARN IT! I later found out that the MTC100 was only necessary if we had entered the bio reserve in the middle of the island, which we didn’t. Oh well. They have to make money on an island some how. Warm day and lovely ferry ride back, we got to Maputo during the sunset. Got some groceries and Luciana (a lovely Brazilian lady) made us dinner at Emanuel’s complete with chocolate fondue dessert (that’s right, I’m salivating just thinking about it). Afterwards, we headed to Nucleo d’Arte, an amazing venue with live music, art, and bar. It was the first place in Maputo that I saw such an eclectic mix of people – all races, all ages, all types. Another wonderful night in Mozambique, then we headed back home for some sleep.
Day 4 – Discovering Maputo and our chapa adventure to Swaziland
Got to sleep in a little today and eventually made it out to go figure out where and when we could take a chapa bus (van type bus) to Swaziland. The last one leaves at 6pm, so we would aim to take the one at 5. We’re meeting James at Costa del Sol at 1, so we take a tuk tuk there. We walk to his house and are introduced to his beautiful family. The area we are at is outside the city, right along the beach, but perhaps a poorer community. While his house has a barren yard and simple features, I think they are relatively quite well off (he and his wife have traveled the world extensively for work). We make friends with James’s son, Raul, and his friend Fernando, the artist. We walk to his “studio” (a small room in his mother’s house) where he shows us his amazing art and a mural he did for a neighbor. He hopes to one day go to art school. We then head back. They buy fresh crab and calamari that JUST came out of the fishing boats and we have a feast. Poor Asmaa, my vegetarian friend, is horrified when they show her the live crab (and his leg falls off in the process) and then crack it open once it’s cooked. Won’t lie though… it was delicious. Now it’s past 3 and we need to start hurrying. Raul takes us back to the chapa stop (not before we give in and spend most of our money on arts & crafts at an outdoor market). We make the bus that’s to leave at 6 pm, but doesn’t end up leaving until 6:30. It’s supposed to be a 2 hour ride and Asmaa’s friend Sabe would be waiting for us in Manzini starting at 8:30.
So. The chapa trip. Perhaps the most memorable portion of the trip. Of course first we get “skin taxed” and they try to get an additional R20 out of us for our bags, which we refuse. We get to the border and get our passport stamps. Then, we wait an additional 2 hours for them to go through the giant bags of clothes (I’m talking bags as big as me) and count each article (each article gets taxed R3) and to check for drugs. KC, a Swazi guy we make friends with on the chapa, tells us that these clothes had been donated during the flood disaster in Mozambique a few years ago. Instead of the government giving them to those who need it, they sell it off for a profit to those who then resell it in Swaziland. Another example of corruption in Mozambique. After the 2 hours, they pack up and we literally drive a few yards past the border and get stopped again. A guard asks me to open my window and shortly after asks me to be his wife (I would get free trips back home, he promised, haha). Apparently his flirtations saved us another inspection, a lady on the bus told me. The victory doesn’t last long because not another mile later, we get stopped AGAIN. There’s another chapa bus in front of us that’s getting inspected (again). The passengers in our bus pass me money to give to the driver for a bribe to get us through faster. Since I’m anti-corruption, I felt somewhat dirty just being the transferee, ha. The driver gives the guard R150, but we can’t leave until the bus infront has gotten fully inspected. The guard retorts that R150 cannot be split evenly (uh.. what? Hi math) and that they want R200. We still are forced out of the chapa and searched (dude, it’s cold outside!) and while Asmaa and I were THIS close to objecting, we figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to talk to men with guns in the dark of the night like that. So, a few hours and a bunch of inappropriate comments later, we are off once again. We finally make it to Manzini at 12:30 am. Poor Sabe. While this adventure may sound inconvenient, I kind of loved the experience in hindsight. We got to experience the REAL Mozambique and Swaziland, plus get to know some amazing characters in the chapa bus and learn about corruption first hand. KC was an incredible person to meet with the frustrations of his country on his heart. Thank you for informing us.
Day 5 – Swaziland!
Sabe and his sister live on an incredible farm on the top of a hill that they inherited in Mbabane. We woke up, met his sister and Jen (a US masters student doing her dissertation), and then we saw the views. The rolling hills, the calm life. Sabe just graduated from studying law in London and has come back to his homeland because he wants to help his country. Swaziland is Africa’s last absolute monarchy and it has shaped them well overall. There’s little turbulence and less poverty than its neighboring countries. Sabe takes us to a breathtaking restaurant, with the plan to take a horse ride in a game reserve after. Unfortunately, we took our time too much and missed the last horse ride at 4. So instead, we toured around a little, met some friends, and headed back up to the farm house for a night of board games, wine, friends, and a fire. Things got competitive with Pictionary, 30 Seconds, and Mafia and political debates (isn’t there a rule this isn’t allowed to be discussed during parties? But the wine helped).
Day 6 – last of Swazi and racing to JoBurg
Sabe is so amazing that he’ll DRIVE us to JoBurg (usually a 8 hour chapa ride). Our flights at 4:30pm, so we need to leave BY 11, the latest. Asmaa meets her good friend’s mom and so Sabe and I get breakfast at an art store/restaurant. It’s past 11 now and I’m trying to not show my nervousness since Sabe told us to trust him he’d get us to the airport in time. Get gas, get munchies, and head back to South Africa. This time, the border stop goes quickly and without much ado, we’re on our way. Some more great conversation (I act as the “translator”/peace keeper a lot because sometimes things get lost in translation with English not being Asmaa’s first language), and while we left at 12, we made it to the airport at 3! So back to Cape Town we go…
This was an overly exciting trip. While we definitely weren’t in each place long enough, at least we got a taste (and a taste that makes me want to come back some day). Now, I have a week left in Cape Town, which is the perfect time to catch up on sleep and finish doing (hopefully) all the things I have left to do. Of course these day accounts were only snippets and I can’t fill it with all the wonderful people we met along the way. But thank you, Africa, for this.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
And so the World Cup comes and goes...
Going to the semifinals with Netherlands playing Uruguay is in the top 5 most exciting things of my life… that game was AMAZING! And the VIBE! RIDICULOUS! Asmaa, Silke, and I got there and ditched our Category 3 seats behind the goal and replaced them with beautiful Category 1 seats in the center of the field. After the owners coming to claim them and us acting dumb (“Oh! Sorry! We must be on another row… oops”), they were nice enough to share them with us, haha! AND AFTER THE GAME! Us Dutchies stayed for another half an hour after the stadium cleared to party behind the goal. Crazy costumes, drums, singing, chanting… it was FANtastic (ha… pun!). Alas, we lost to Spain in the Final on Sunday… but I can deal with that loss. The better team definitely won.
So I’m going to Mozambique (and Swaziland)! Instead of the hectic 11 day long trip with the bus down the Garden Route, we’re flying into JoBurg on Friday, staying up all night to catch a bus in the morning to the Mozambique border, getting our visas there, then taking one of those chicken buses to Maputo, the capital! There we’ll be for 2-3 days, then take the bus to Swaziland for a day before heading back to catch our flight in JoBurg. Still quite hectic, but at least I’ll have another week left in Cape Town before I head back home. I’ve heard amazing things about Mozambique… on one of the days, we’ll be taking a 2 hour long ferry to Inhaca Island, which is supposed to be beaaauuutiful. SO excited also for some warmer weather.
So… time is fluid in South Africa, so my meetings keep getting cancelled or delayed. At this point, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish up my drip irrigation and greenhouse projects :(. At least they have everything they need to get it implemented when I leave. I’d like to continue the transcription of the Mama’s stories even when I’m back in the U.S. I love doing it and it’ll be a good way to stay connected to Ikamva. I’ll need to talk to Nicole about that.
Even though I still have 16 days before I leave Cape Town (11, if you subtract my Moz trip), it feels like time is dwindling quite fast. I feel like there’s so much I still need to do… like:
Go on a wine tour
Eat at more awesome restaurants
Go to a comedy show
Buy souvenirs
Green Point flea market
Go to Llandudno beach
Visit the Association for Visual Arts – (actually did this yesterday!)
Rhodes Memorial
Robben Island
Aquarium
Hour long cruise
Gold of Africa museum
Climb Lion’s Head
Surfing at Muizenberg
Eat at Mzoli’s
And then besides that, just enjoy the local life (like eating, ha). Zola was also going to take me to one of his soccer matches in the township at some point. Need to ask him about that. Thursday a couchsurfer, Jerome, is taking me up the west coast while he meets customers for his business, but will be able to show me some of the towns and sightseeing as well. He’s picking me up at 6:30 am (oy), so need to be up in time for that…
So I’m going to Mozambique (and Swaziland)! Instead of the hectic 11 day long trip with the bus down the Garden Route, we’re flying into JoBurg on Friday, staying up all night to catch a bus in the morning to the Mozambique border, getting our visas there, then taking one of those chicken buses to Maputo, the capital! There we’ll be for 2-3 days, then take the bus to Swaziland for a day before heading back to catch our flight in JoBurg. Still quite hectic, but at least I’ll have another week left in Cape Town before I head back home. I’ve heard amazing things about Mozambique… on one of the days, we’ll be taking a 2 hour long ferry to Inhaca Island, which is supposed to be beaaauuutiful. SO excited also for some warmer weather.
So… time is fluid in South Africa, so my meetings keep getting cancelled or delayed. At this point, I don’t think I’ll be able to finish up my drip irrigation and greenhouse projects :(. At least they have everything they need to get it implemented when I leave. I’d like to continue the transcription of the Mama’s stories even when I’m back in the U.S. I love doing it and it’ll be a good way to stay connected to Ikamva. I’ll need to talk to Nicole about that.
Even though I still have 16 days before I leave Cape Town (11, if you subtract my Moz trip), it feels like time is dwindling quite fast. I feel like there’s so much I still need to do… like:
Go on a wine tour
Eat at more awesome restaurants
Go to a comedy show
Buy souvenirs
Green Point flea market
Go to Llandudno beach
Visit the Association for Visual Arts – (actually did this yesterday!)
Rhodes Memorial
Robben Island
Aquarium
Hour long cruise
Gold of Africa museum
Climb Lion’s Head
Surfing at Muizenberg
Eat at Mzoli’s
And then besides that, just enjoy the local life (like eating, ha). Zola was also going to take me to one of his soccer matches in the township at some point. Need to ask him about that. Thursday a couchsurfer, Jerome, is taking me up the west coast while he meets customers for his business, but will be able to show me some of the towns and sightseeing as well. He’s picking me up at 6:30 am (oy), so need to be up in time for that…
Monday, July 5, 2010
Sustainability
Last week Helen Lieberman received a humanitarian award from the city of Ceuta, Spain for her work with Ikamva. She had no idea she had been nominated in the first place and was shocked to find out she’ll be receiving 50,000 Euros for the organization! I was lucky enough to sit in during her interview with a Spanish reporter (just in case something got lost in translation, I could help out) and listen to her responses. She kept reiterating how this award shouldn’t be for her, but for the thousands of people working for Ikamva. There is something so humbling about her constant dismissal of being the recipient – it is one thing to act modest, another to actually BE modest and truly believe you are not deserving of the recognition. There’s a Spanish news article (http://elfarodigital.es/ceuta/sociedad/11887-la-madre-teresa-de-sudafrica-gana-el-premio-convivencia.html) about her award and nicknames her the ‘Mother Teresa of South Africa’. Again, she laughed at that and countered the comparison.
Helen’s interview got me thinking about the success of non-profit organizations. In order to make an organization successful, it needs to be self-sustainable, so, should not rely on one person, or likewise, be dependent on external funding. It needs the determination and contribution of many, each playing their part in the game. As Helen put it, she does not do the work, she assists. I was talking to my friend Anna the other day, who is here in Cape Town as part of her internship portion for her Social Entrepreneurship program in Norway. The aim of the program is to ASSIST businesses/organizations in creating a self-sustainable business plan, usually focusing on the non-profits. An interesting Masters… maybe something to look into at some point.
So. Remember the overwhelment (I still justify that’s a word) I felt at work in the beginning? Slowly diminishing. I have people, sources, and quotes for both the drip irrigation system and greenhouse. Now I just need to have a meeting with Helen, the contractor, the Health & Nutrition people, and the … well source…person to agree on a final plan and carry it out. I hope that can get done soon.
I met a girl, Asmaa, the other day who presented the idea of traveling around the area with me. It sounds very enticing… the plan as of now would be to fly up to Joburg, take a bus to Maputo in Mozambique, then bus to Swaziland, then take the Bazbus from Durban back to Cape Town, stopping at several spots along the Garden Route. The total trip would be 11 days long. I originally didn’t really plan on traveling outside of Cape Town much, but I like the spontaneity of the idea and exploring what’s around here. After all, I’ve come all this way. However, the main thing keeping me from committing right now is work. I want to make sure that if I do go, all my projects are either completed or don’t need any of my help anymore. I had promised Ikamva until the end of July and don’t suddenly want to back out of my commitment. If I go, I have til the 16th to wrap things up. I’ll have to think about it some and talk to Helen.
Yesterday was Independence Day. We brought the US holiday to South Africa by going to the beach (my friend planted a US flag in the middle of it), going to a BBQ, playing flip cup, and mingling with a bunch of Americans. How typical, eh? ;)
I moved in with some new couchsurfers last Wednesday. Three dudes, very chill, very cool. They live in the “tampon towers” that are up against Table Mountain (called so b/c they distinctly look like giant tampons sticking out of the ground). Beautiful views, but now makes my walk to work about 50 min long – however, I’ve been fortunate enough to get rides down the hill for some of them :).
Um, don’t know if you’ve realized, but THE NETHERLANDS IS PLAYING IN THE SEMIFINALS!!!!! AND I’m going to go SEE that game tomorrow!! Super ecstatic about that! It’s kinda sad… World Cup is wrapping up rapidly… Less than a week left of it.
Was thinking of cooking chicken stuffed avocados with suiza sauce for the boys tonight. One of my favorite dishes in the world… but I’ve never tried making it, soooo… good luck me :P Hopefully I don’t burn their apartment down.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Some random things I have learned about South Africa
Just a few things, nothing too deep... just as they come to me :)
- Traffic lights are called “robots” (i.e. “take a right at the next robot”)
- Stop signs = yield signs
- Rooibos tea is caffeine-free and delicious (especially with a teaspoon of sugar and some milk)
- Being called “sis” is a term of endearment
- Guys hit on girls by “tss”-ing at them
- Alcohol is cheaper here
- “Is it?” is a rhetorical statement at the end of yours. No answer needed, it just signals confirmation. (i.e. “This biltong is delicious.” “Is it?”)
- Biltong IS delicious… it’s like a not-as-dry-and-chewy form of beef jerky.
- South Africans are annoyed by the wind
- They wear boots, scarves, beanies, jackets in 20C (68F) weather because… it’s winter.
- While most residents in the townships live in shacks, they dress very nicely (almost formally) and take great pride in their appearances.
- You can buy almost everything you need at the gas station (“garage”), such as electricity and air time for your cell phone, except for alcohol.
- Grocery stores also don’t sell alcohol. Only liquor stores do.
- Stroh rum has 80% alcohol content and is illegal in the US. It also really burns going down.
- Zebras are as common as horses
- Unlimited wireless internet is not common… they usually charge by MB
- If you seem disinterested in a product at Greenmarket square, they will go down with the price
- There’s a KFC on almost every corner, but almost no McDonalds (I’ve seen 2)
- A braai is not just a barbeque, but also a party
- “Just now” = soon, eventually, or never. “Now now” = shortly, in a bit.
- You will hear the “waka waka” or “wavin’ flag” song at least 4 times a day
- Pedestrians never have the right of way
- If a baboon is about to attack you, act submissive and/or pee your pants
- Castle Milk Stout is kind of like Guinness, but much better. And cheaper.
- “Howzit?” incorporates both “Hello” and “how are you?” – I like efficiency
- You tip car guards for “watching” your car when parked on the street
- Stores are closed after sunset and on Sundays
- A lot of the food here has some sort of curry in it (yum)
- Porcupines can apparently be as big as Labradors
- The weather is bipolar, you should carry a rain jacket with you even on sunny days
- Soccer is called both “football” AND “soccer” here, as much as people try to tell you it’s just “football”
- South Africans don’t like Australians (this stems from their rugby rivalry) and make fun of their accents, even though I think South African English is a mix between British and Aussie.
- Afrikaans sounds more like Flemish, and they blend their words/tone together more than the Dutch
- I can’t tell the Xhosa and Zulu language apart… they both have clicks
- If you wear flip flops, people know you're a tourist. Especially if you call them "flip flops"
- Locals are GENUINELY interested in you. Genuinely.
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