It is amazing what 12 hours of sleep can do for the human body. Maybe cats could teach us a thing or two. We were determined to stay awake as long as we could last night. We had Tivoed many shows while were gone so went upstairs around 7 pm to catch up on "So You Think You Can Dance". By 7:30 I had checked out and I did not wake up until 7:30 this morning. I felt refreshed so, fortified by my first Starbucks in over three weeks, I balanced my checkbook and tackled the bills. I also went to the bank and turned in 620 Rands and got $62.70 credited back into my checking account. I figured I should try to do those tasks which required me to be alert just in case I crashed later in the day.
Reflecting on our experience in South Africa leaves us with so much to be thankful for. We met wonderful young people who see the value in volunteering and giving back. For me, as a former high school teacher, this was especially gratifying since, much as I loved teaching, I was sometimes discouraged by the self centeredness of teenagers. Most of our volunteers were college age females. There were two older men, Rick and myself. The other guys were in their 20's with the exception of Todd who is 31 and Rick's teenage sons. Never did I hear any of the vounteers complain about our living situation or their placements. They gave so willingly of themselves and I know that they touched the lives of those with whom they worked. For some of them, it may have been their first time so far from home. I think they may have found comfort having parent figures like Dianne, Juanita, and me living with them.
I also met many terrific young South Africans at Etafeni. Dianne and I both agree that the South Africans we met are all glass half full people. South Africa, especially the Western Cape, faces enormous problems. It is estimated that 1,000 people a day are making their way to the Western Cape hoping to find a better way of life for themselves and their families. Many come from other countries in Africa where there is war and/or instability in the government. These outsiders are not welcomed with open arms by South Africans as they are seen as competition for employment. They may end up in one of the already overcrowded townships. There is a recent history of xenophobic violence against them, and unfortunately, there will likely be more in the future as their numbers increase. The young people with whom I worked are all township dwellers and all unemployed. Even with that, it was encouraging to see them coming to class each day. They are all filled with hope that if they work at it, life will be better for them and they may be able to buy a car or a home in the future. Their graduation ceremony was one of the highligts of my experience. To see them dressed up and wearing caps and gowns and smiling was very heartwarming. You would have thought that the certificates they received were gold the way they held them. It was great.
I have a lot of pictures to go through as I took over 970 pictures. Each picture will be a special treasure for me and I know I may have a tough time choosing which pictures to keep. I am so thankful for digital photography so I can review and delete those "what was I thinking when I took this picture" pictures.
A couple of final thoughts for this post. More things I learned in South Africa. Rugby is fairly easy to understand, cricket is not. I read some accounts of cricket matches in the papers and although written in English, I could have used an interpreter as I had no idea what was being said. I suppose people who come from cricket playing countries could say the same about baseball.
Going to close for now. Stay well everyone.
Art
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Home again
Why does this always happen....a long long plane ride ruins the trip... After two horrendous plane trips we are now home. Some of the young folks who were leaving made it a point to find us at our gate to say goodbye...a few in tears. ARt and I became mom and dad, and they really enjoyed having us around. The last night of celebration at Marcos'African restaurant with 20 of us had dancing also.. Art got out there and danced and everyone clapped..A sight to see for sure.
This volunteer experience was one of the most challenging, terrific, enjoyable experiences I have had in my 66 years. The African people that I met..and there were many ....showed me the hopeful spirit that is raising up out of South Africa. I close my eyes and see their smile, hear there kind words...then I know that there is hope for South Africa. Thank you South Africa that provided me with so many experiences.
My last day at Carehaven had so many surprises in it. THe staff had high tea for me, complete with a hand made gift and card. THen the ladies sat me down and sang and danced. Bonita came up to me with a small wrapped gift. I had admired her scarf for three weeks. She said that she did not have much to give but she wanted to give me something. She asked that I not open it up until I was home. In it was the scarf that I admired...the best she had. Tanya did a liturgical dance and Omma sang from her soul in this beautiful Gospel voice. The kids made me a bracelet that they had decorated out of painted macaroni. Those were treasures for sure.
I feel that I know the culture and the people of the Western Cape. I am glad that I did this but I am also glad to be home. Thanks to Sarah and Liz...our home was well cared for and Jake was happy and taken care of. Thanks to all who wrote to me. I needed that personal connection so far away from home. I loved the facebook entries also.
So Dianne Reardon closes my portion of this blog..I know Art will have his final words to say tomorrow.
This volunteer experience was one of the most challenging, terrific, enjoyable experiences I have had in my 66 years. The African people that I met..and there were many ....showed me the hopeful spirit that is raising up out of South Africa. I close my eyes and see their smile, hear there kind words...then I know that there is hope for South Africa. Thank you South Africa that provided me with so many experiences.
My last day at Carehaven had so many surprises in it. THe staff had high tea for me, complete with a hand made gift and card. THen the ladies sat me down and sang and danced. Bonita came up to me with a small wrapped gift. I had admired her scarf for three weeks. She said that she did not have much to give but she wanted to give me something. She asked that I not open it up until I was home. In it was the scarf that I admired...the best she had. Tanya did a liturgical dance and Omma sang from her soul in this beautiful Gospel voice. The kids made me a bracelet that they had decorated out of painted macaroni. Those were treasures for sure.
I feel that I know the culture and the people of the Western Cape. I am glad that I did this but I am also glad to be home. Thanks to Sarah and Liz...our home was well cared for and Jake was happy and taken care of. Thanks to all who wrote to me. I needed that personal connection so far away from home. I loved the facebook entries also.
So Dianne Reardon closes my portion of this blog..I know Art will have his final words to say tomorrow.
If It's Sunday, This Must Be Rodeo
We are home after a long day of travel. For our bodies it is about 12:30 tomorrow morning but we are going to try to stay up for as long as we can so we can adjust to this time zone. We flew on South African Air from Cape Town to London. South Africa is a very nice way to fly. We were on United from London to San Francisco and it was nice, but not as nice as South African Air.
It is kind of surreal to think that over the past day and a half we have flown from Africa to San Francisco. We have a lot to reflect about and both agree that volunteering in South Africa is one of the highlights of our lives. We learned so much and met so many wonderful people.
This is just to let you know we are home. Right now my brain is a bit fuzzy and my body is feeling sleep deprived. I did find out that it is a real challenge to fill in customs forms and list the goods and US dollars after dividing the Rand total by 8 especially if one has been flying for around 22 hours. We breezed through Customs at SFO so I guess my sleep deprived brain got the figures close enough for government work. More when my brain has caught up with my body.
Art
It is kind of surreal to think that over the past day and a half we have flown from Africa to San Francisco. We have a lot to reflect about and both agree that volunteering in South Africa is one of the highlights of our lives. We learned so much and met so many wonderful people.
This is just to let you know we are home. Right now my brain is a bit fuzzy and my body is feeling sleep deprived. I did find out that it is a real challenge to fill in customs forms and list the goods and US dollars after dividing the Rand total by 8 especially if one has been flying for around 22 hours. We breezed through Customs at SFO so I guess my sleep deprived brain got the figures close enough for government work. More when my brain has caught up with my body.
Art
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Farewell To Cape Town
Our time here is almost finished. We leave for Cape Town International in less than two hours for our flight to London. It has been a truly blessed time for us here and we have added a lifetime of memories that we will always cherish.
At Etafeni yesterday there was graduation for four groups of young adults who have completed the Fit For Life Fit For Work program. One of the groups was made up of the young people with whom I worked for the first two weeks. They wore caps and gowns and green hoodsa and were dressed so nicely. They were proud of themselves and I was so proud of them that I could not stop smiling. I have only known them for three weeks, but in that time I have become very close to some of them. I have exchanged e-mail and Facebook info with those who are on the net. The ceremony for graduation was joyful. There was lots of singing, some of which appeared to be spontaneous, though I could be wrong about that as much of the proceedings were conducted in Xhosa so it is possible someone may have said "Let's sing" in Xhosa and I would have been none the wiser. Whatever the case, seeing and hearing the singing was kind of a magic moment for me and I videoed much of it on my digital camera. I took many pictures of "my" graduates and some of the others and have assured Deborah that I would e-mail them to her. Speaking of pictures, during the weeks we have been here, I have taken around 970 pictures. I guess I will have a time of it when I get home going through them and organizing them.
Dianne's people at Carehaven gave her a big sendoff yesterday. Dianne will probably let you know more about it but she is fighting off a cold and is resting at the hotel. The ladies with whom she worked and the staff at Carehaven wrote some beautiful words about Dianne. She feels so affirmed by her efforts at Carehaven. The fact that Dianne kicked ass with her placement and made such an impression on clients and staff comes as no surprise to me. I am married to an amazing woman, thank God.
We chose to spend our last night at the V & A Waterfront Hotel. Had we stayed at Homebase 2, we would have needed to clear our room by 8:00 this morning and occupied ourselves until transport to the airport. We decided the choice between sleeping on twice as wide as a diving board bed and a king bed was not difficult to make, so we chose comfort. We are so grateful we did. The hotel is allowing us to stay until we leave for the airport at 3:15. This is a great hotel and we recommend it to anyone who comes to Cape Town.
Last night many of the volunteers had dinner together at Marco's African Restaurant. Many of us are leaving and there are some who were with us last night who will stay. We are somewhat eclectic as far as age goes. I think the age range last night was 18-66. We took lots of pictures and got lots of hugs when it was time to say goodbye. We have forged some lifelong friendships with many wonderful young people who have so generously given of their time and talent in South Africa. Dianne, Juanita, and I are old enough to be their parents and have been treated as their friends. A lot of us have become Facebook friends. We have told them they have a place to stay if they ever visit San Francisco. We have already planned for Erin to stay with us at the end of September. Erin is a U of Washington grad who goes to all the football games. The Huskies play Stanford on Sept. 26th and we are going to the game with Erin. As an added bonus, she gets a tour of Rodeo. Does life get any better than that? By the way, while we were eating, a woman who was also a patron at the restaurant asked me what kind of a tour group we were. I guess she may have been curious about the obvious age differences in our group. I am still curious as to why she chose to ask me. Could it be my hair's lack of pigment? Anyhow, when I told her we were all volunteers who had been working in townships she thanked me and the group for coming to South Africa and giving our time. What a nice little perk.
Some things we did not tell you about Cape Town. It is a dangerous city after dark so anytime we were out after dark (not often for us) we took a cab, even if it as to Mels or Woolworths which are only about a quarter of a mile from Homebase 2. It can be dangerous during the daylight hours too. Two weeks ago, Juanita and Bettina walked in on an armed robbery in progress at the 7-11 store at 4:00 pm. They were not injured and not robbed, but were somewhat shaken. Our friend Jen was almost mugged in broad daylight before we arrived. She pointed out the corner where it happened. It was downtown on a Saturday. She just kept on saying "No" and pushing the potential muggers' hands away. Perhaps not the wisest thing to do, but for her it worked. Perhaps the fact that Jen is 6"1" tall worked in her favor. One of our drivers told us Johannesburg is more dangerous. Kept this bit of info until the end so family would not worry. We never felt in danger, but were constantly vigilant. This past week when we ate at Mbozi's Meats, some young boys stole all the potato chips from the tables at which we were to sit before we arrived.
Well friends, is time to bid you all adieu from Cape Town. The next post will be from Rodeo. Until then be well.
Art
At Etafeni yesterday there was graduation for four groups of young adults who have completed the Fit For Life Fit For Work program. One of the groups was made up of the young people with whom I worked for the first two weeks. They wore caps and gowns and green hoodsa and were dressed so nicely. They were proud of themselves and I was so proud of them that I could not stop smiling. I have only known them for three weeks, but in that time I have become very close to some of them. I have exchanged e-mail and Facebook info with those who are on the net. The ceremony for graduation was joyful. There was lots of singing, some of which appeared to be spontaneous, though I could be wrong about that as much of the proceedings were conducted in Xhosa so it is possible someone may have said "Let's sing" in Xhosa and I would have been none the wiser. Whatever the case, seeing and hearing the singing was kind of a magic moment for me and I videoed much of it on my digital camera. I took many pictures of "my" graduates and some of the others and have assured Deborah that I would e-mail them to her. Speaking of pictures, during the weeks we have been here, I have taken around 970 pictures. I guess I will have a time of it when I get home going through them and organizing them.
Dianne's people at Carehaven gave her a big sendoff yesterday. Dianne will probably let you know more about it but she is fighting off a cold and is resting at the hotel. The ladies with whom she worked and the staff at Carehaven wrote some beautiful words about Dianne. She feels so affirmed by her efforts at Carehaven. The fact that Dianne kicked ass with her placement and made such an impression on clients and staff comes as no surprise to me. I am married to an amazing woman, thank God.
We chose to spend our last night at the V & A Waterfront Hotel. Had we stayed at Homebase 2, we would have needed to clear our room by 8:00 this morning and occupied ourselves until transport to the airport. We decided the choice between sleeping on twice as wide as a diving board bed and a king bed was not difficult to make, so we chose comfort. We are so grateful we did. The hotel is allowing us to stay until we leave for the airport at 3:15. This is a great hotel and we recommend it to anyone who comes to Cape Town.
Last night many of the volunteers had dinner together at Marco's African Restaurant. Many of us are leaving and there are some who were with us last night who will stay. We are somewhat eclectic as far as age goes. I think the age range last night was 18-66. We took lots of pictures and got lots of hugs when it was time to say goodbye. We have forged some lifelong friendships with many wonderful young people who have so generously given of their time and talent in South Africa. Dianne, Juanita, and I are old enough to be their parents and have been treated as their friends. A lot of us have become Facebook friends. We have told them they have a place to stay if they ever visit San Francisco. We have already planned for Erin to stay with us at the end of September. Erin is a U of Washington grad who goes to all the football games. The Huskies play Stanford on Sept. 26th and we are going to the game with Erin. As an added bonus, she gets a tour of Rodeo. Does life get any better than that? By the way, while we were eating, a woman who was also a patron at the restaurant asked me what kind of a tour group we were. I guess she may have been curious about the obvious age differences in our group. I am still curious as to why she chose to ask me. Could it be my hair's lack of pigment? Anyhow, when I told her we were all volunteers who had been working in townships she thanked me and the group for coming to South Africa and giving our time. What a nice little perk.
Some things we did not tell you about Cape Town. It is a dangerous city after dark so anytime we were out after dark (not often for us) we took a cab, even if it as to Mels or Woolworths which are only about a quarter of a mile from Homebase 2. It can be dangerous during the daylight hours too. Two weeks ago, Juanita and Bettina walked in on an armed robbery in progress at the 7-11 store at 4:00 pm. They were not injured and not robbed, but were somewhat shaken. Our friend Jen was almost mugged in broad daylight before we arrived. She pointed out the corner where it happened. It was downtown on a Saturday. She just kept on saying "No" and pushing the potential muggers' hands away. Perhaps not the wisest thing to do, but for her it worked. Perhaps the fact that Jen is 6"1" tall worked in her favor. One of our drivers told us Johannesburg is more dangerous. Kept this bit of info until the end so family would not worry. We never felt in danger, but were constantly vigilant. This past week when we ate at Mbozi's Meats, some young boys stole all the potato chips from the tables at which we were to sit before we arrived.
Well friends, is time to bid you all adieu from Cape Town. The next post will be from Rodeo. Until then be well.
Art
Monday, July 6, 2009
The story goes on
We are waiting for a Salesian priest, Father Michael, to find us here at the waterfront so we decided to duck into a net place and blog. I have heard from some of you that you enjoy the blog of our tales of Africa. We are trying to give you a flavor on the western cape as we see it. Many people shop as we do...there are super markets like we have and we just went into a Hallmark store tobuy some materials for my placement tomorrow. They have a KFC, golden arches and subway and people love them. We have not gone there but the younger set have gone. One of the girls said today that she cannot wait to go to Taco Bell.
I wanted to tell you about the spirit in the townships that we learned about on Sunday. 6 of the our group went to the township in Kaialensha. They slept at Vickie's b and b nd loved it. They talked to the locals who actually were looking out for the white girls and did not want anything to happen to them while at the b and b. vickie began this b and b in order to put money back into th townships. The girls said tht the people down there were friendly and told them that they have a community built in their neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods in the dwellings take pride in the area and keep it clean on the dirt roads. Now there are some that do not, but this one did. The government is trying to build stone dwellings as fast as they can before the World Cup comes in over 300 days. The gov. does not want tourists to have a bad idea of the Cape. Now who goes first to these comes under a neighborhood vote. we do not see how they will achieve this task because here are so many families to move. When we drive to and fro from work we see he lines of latrins and water spickets and women with their buckets to fill up and wash...Some townships do not have his. Some of the men and women do want tobetter themselves and find work..HEre is the problem. Some must care for the little brothers and sisters or daughters and sons. Work is seasonal when out in the fields or working on roads. And the story goes on and on.
Today I was forced to sit in on a boring staff meeting...the Captain of the Salvation Army has taken a liking to me ( I will not join) and ask or my ideas. All I could think of were my women waiting to talk to me and here I was stuck. Groan! So I contributed and she wanted me to stay and send Art home. No way! I brought over two blank books to have people sign in and then I will put their photos next to the writing. The ladies have made beautiful pages. I do not want to read their work until I get home.
Tomorrow we are finely going to hear African music and see African dancing. Our driver plays pop music all of the time, he loves Lional Ritchie. I think I have told you about Faried, our Muslim driver for work and tour guide on the weekends. He did provide two days of great tours of the western cape, and all for $25 to $40 per person. This was all day tours. The African sunset last night that we saw facing the Atlantic OCean was spectacular for sure. Art's fingers were snapping away
One of the high lights was to see the Nelson Mandella statue in frontof the prison where he was released...It was powerfull. Our guide told us that on that day, there were so many people that it took him hours to walk out nd get into his car. People wanted to touch him.
We also learned of Steven Biko who died for the cause..There is a movie with Denzel, about this wonderful man who fought for tht rights of the Blacks.
We will not be able to blog until next Friday because we are v ery busy this week with ev ents. We will sendout aol writings from the house. Stay welll.......Dianne
I wanted to tell you about the spirit in the townships that we learned about on Sunday. 6 of the our group went to the township in Kaialensha. They slept at Vickie's b and b nd loved it. They talked to the locals who actually were looking out for the white girls and did not want anything to happen to them while at the b and b. vickie began this b and b in order to put money back into th townships. The girls said tht the people down there were friendly and told them that they have a community built in their neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods in the dwellings take pride in the area and keep it clean on the dirt roads. Now there are some that do not, but this one did. The government is trying to build stone dwellings as fast as they can before the World Cup comes in over 300 days. The gov. does not want tourists to have a bad idea of the Cape. Now who goes first to these comes under a neighborhood vote. we do not see how they will achieve this task because here are so many families to move. When we drive to and fro from work we see he lines of latrins and water spickets and women with their buckets to fill up and wash...Some townships do not have his. Some of the men and women do want tobetter themselves and find work..HEre is the problem. Some must care for the little brothers and sisters or daughters and sons. Work is seasonal when out in the fields or working on roads. And the story goes on and on.
Today I was forced to sit in on a boring staff meeting...the Captain of the Salvation Army has taken a liking to me ( I will not join) and ask or my ideas. All I could think of were my women waiting to talk to me and here I was stuck. Groan! So I contributed and she wanted me to stay and send Art home. No way! I brought over two blank books to have people sign in and then I will put their photos next to the writing. The ladies have made beautiful pages. I do not want to read their work until I get home.
Tomorrow we are finely going to hear African music and see African dancing. Our driver plays pop music all of the time, he loves Lional Ritchie. I think I have told you about Faried, our Muslim driver for work and tour guide on the weekends. He did provide two days of great tours of the western cape, and all for $25 to $40 per person. This was all day tours. The African sunset last night that we saw facing the Atlantic OCean was spectacular for sure. Art's fingers were snapping away
One of the high lights was to see the Nelson Mandella statue in frontof the prison where he was released...It was powerfull. Our guide told us that on that day, there were so many people that it took him hours to walk out nd get into his car. People wanted to touch him.
We also learned of Steven Biko who died for the cause..There is a movie with Denzel, about this wonderful man who fought for tht rights of the Blacks.
We will not be able to blog until next Friday because we are v ery busy this week with ev ents. We will sendout aol writings from the house. Stay welll.......Dianne
In our last week
We continue to be blessed with good mild weather in the Westen Cape. We had two amazing days of touring on the weekend. On Saturday we toured the winelands of the Western Cape and had a marvelous time. We used one of the drivers who delivers people to their placements as our guide. His name is Faried and he is a real delight. He was born in Cape Town, so he has a great deal of knowledge about the area and the history. Wine is a big industry in South Africa and the South Africans pride themselves on being the equal of if not better than the French, Italians, and winemakers of the Napa Valley. Being a non drinker, I can not confirm or deny the above; but those on the tour who tasted wines had no complaints.
The scenery on the Western Cape is truly breathtaking. Being an ignorant American, I fear that my preconceived notion of what I would see here was influenced by the media, e.g., Hollywood. My eyes were opened by what I saw the past couple of days. There are mountains all over the Western Cape. They are not Sierra Nevada like in altitude, but they are beautiful and provide many kodak moments. Since it is winter here, the grass is green and lush which adds to the beauty. We were told that the grass goes brown, just like California, in the summer months of November, December, January, and February.
Our tour around the Cape Of Good Hope yesterday was fantastic. It was an all day affair that included a delicious lunch at a restaurant called Sea Forth right on the the Atlantic Ocean. The food was delicious. I decided to go African with my meal so I had lamb and mutton braised in a traditional South African sauce in a small African iron cooking pot. It was delicious and not too spicy. It had curry in it, and usually I am not a big fan of curry; but this was just right. I think it was called a lamb and mutton brebie of bredie. Our tour included a visit to Boulder Beach where one can roam among and get up close and personal with the jackass penguins that inhabit the beach. Just watch out for the penguin poop as you walk around. The penguins allow you to get really close for pictures but will let you know if you are invading their personal space as I found out from one of them who thought I was getting a bit too close. We also saw baboons that roam around freely througout the Western Cape. Signs are posted all over warning folks that baboons are wild animals and not to be trifled with. Whenever we saw them, Faried told us to roll up the windows because if a baboon or baboons get into the car they can become quite aggressive. As we were departing Boulder Beach, we saw a live demonstration of baboons in action. There was a Mercedes parked on the shoulder and on the Mercedes were baboons. Two males were on the roof and had made some significant dents. One was working on the right windshield wiper and destroyed it. One was trying to get into the car, but apparently the car was locked. Two juveniles were working on removing the hood ornament. Needless to say, the re-sale value of the Mercedes probalbly suffered due to its interaction with nature. There was a car parked nest to it into which one of the baboons had climbed. I don't know if anyone was in that car, but can you imagine their surprise if they were and saw a baboon driving their car away?
We have really enjoyed our time here and have learned so much. We do look forward to our return home but I am sure that we will leave a part of us behind. We hope all is well with everyone and wish all of you good health. Speaking of health, Dianne and I have been 100% healthy, with the exception of Dianne's fall and our unscheduled visit to Christian Barnaard Memorial Hospital for x-rays. On the other hand, some of the youngsters are succumbing to colds and coughs and other maladies, some of which might be due to trying to burn the candle at both ends. Been there, done that when I was young and foolish. Now I am older and less foolish ( I think) and being up past 9:30 is the rarity for us. Life is good here and we relish our last few days here and look forward to our return.
Until next time........Art
The scenery on the Western Cape is truly breathtaking. Being an ignorant American, I fear that my preconceived notion of what I would see here was influenced by the media, e.g., Hollywood. My eyes were opened by what I saw the past couple of days. There are mountains all over the Western Cape. They are not Sierra Nevada like in altitude, but they are beautiful and provide many kodak moments. Since it is winter here, the grass is green and lush which adds to the beauty. We were told that the grass goes brown, just like California, in the summer months of November, December, January, and February.
Our tour around the Cape Of Good Hope yesterday was fantastic. It was an all day affair that included a delicious lunch at a restaurant called Sea Forth right on the the Atlantic Ocean. The food was delicious. I decided to go African with my meal so I had lamb and mutton braised in a traditional South African sauce in a small African iron cooking pot. It was delicious and not too spicy. It had curry in it, and usually I am not a big fan of curry; but this was just right. I think it was called a lamb and mutton brebie of bredie. Our tour included a visit to Boulder Beach where one can roam among and get up close and personal with the jackass penguins that inhabit the beach. Just watch out for the penguin poop as you walk around. The penguins allow you to get really close for pictures but will let you know if you are invading their personal space as I found out from one of them who thought I was getting a bit too close. We also saw baboons that roam around freely througout the Western Cape. Signs are posted all over warning folks that baboons are wild animals and not to be trifled with. Whenever we saw them, Faried told us to roll up the windows because if a baboon or baboons get into the car they can become quite aggressive. As we were departing Boulder Beach, we saw a live demonstration of baboons in action. There was a Mercedes parked on the shoulder and on the Mercedes were baboons. Two males were on the roof and had made some significant dents. One was working on the right windshield wiper and destroyed it. One was trying to get into the car, but apparently the car was locked. Two juveniles were working on removing the hood ornament. Needless to say, the re-sale value of the Mercedes probalbly suffered due to its interaction with nature. There was a car parked nest to it into which one of the baboons had climbed. I don't know if anyone was in that car, but can you imagine their surprise if they were and saw a baboon driving their car away?
We have really enjoyed our time here and have learned so much. We do look forward to our return home but I am sure that we will leave a part of us behind. We hope all is well with everyone and wish all of you good health. Speaking of health, Dianne and I have been 100% healthy, with the exception of Dianne's fall and our unscheduled visit to Christian Barnaard Memorial Hospital for x-rays. On the other hand, some of the youngsters are succumbing to colds and coughs and other maladies, some of which might be due to trying to burn the candle at both ends. Been there, done that when I was young and foolish. Now I am older and less foolish ( I think) and being up past 9:30 is the rarity for us. Life is good here and we relish our last few days here and look forward to our return.
Until next time........Art
Friday, July 3, 2009
\happy 4th
\we must leave our hotel this morning...saddly...it was built in the 1800's...and before this, this area was for slaves, a prison. the historical group preserved this place. high ceilings, details ornate on ceilings, a large lawn area and pool.....they even have a tunnel from here to the v and a hotel by the waterfront. now it is used for transporting beer to all of the hotels. so i do not want to leave but we promised we would go to the wine tour with our little family. it will be good to get away into the country..i hear it is very lush and beautiful. the rain has been good and will stay away today and tomorrow. last night i thought the building would wash away from the wind and the rain...but i see mr. sun today. the staff here is so kind and has made us feel very special. we even got a note from the manager of last week who helped me so much when \i had fallen. we plan to sing american songs in the van today...our driver, \fareed will get a treat... fareed is one of our drivers and he likes our group... he also arranges these tours for us on weekends at a cheap price. you are all sleeping now and \i am going out for the day.... bye
Prayers poured out of windows
yesterdat was unique...our tour began up in ba\kaap....meaning upper cape. \this is a section of the \Cape that has been settled by the \malays, indonesians, and indians. we ate at a restaurant that served us \indian/malay food. it was nestled high on the hill so we could see up the mountain and down into town...breathtaking for sure. \there were about 20 of us. we were greeted by the owners and began our feast with indian hors d overs. then we had a spicy meat, rice and veggies. the dessert was the best. the owner then told us about this area. in the 1800 the people from these lands mentioned above were not allowed to settle in lower cape town because of their skin color so they settled up the hill. \each home is a bright color and we were told very welcoming to strangers. all we had to do is knock on the door and ask to use the loo and we would be invited in for tea. he told us that here all colors were welcomed and anyone would help his fellow neighbor. they can leave their doors open because there is little violence there. we then walked around on the old cobblestone streets and saw more of the colors of the buildings, complete with european influence. when we crossed the street and followed our guide through a walkway is when \i heard the prayers coming from the windows. it was 3:30 and all stop to prayer no matter where they are....there are 8 mosques in this area so the prayer was so musical . \i wanted to stay and listened until it was over...it was special. \the owner told us that a true muslem took care of the women, did not harm them in any way. he said he is saddened when he hears about abuse in iraq and iran to the women. so this was a day... i am sure art told you about the slave lodge, so i will not repeat that one
today at my center, the women are already beginning to ask me to stay and leave art go home...one girl who i have worked with came into the kitchen and just stood in front of me..\i asked her what was wrong...she said you are leaving and i am sad... that made me feel good. i have grown to love my women very much..now they feel like joking with me...they are comfortable. i bet art told you about our free upgrade tonight from the v & a hotel....wow....we are really in a plush place for sure complete with our own staircase. we thanked them for their kindness...i guess after last friday night, they felt like we needed this.i had written the manager thanking him last week for the kindness of the staff....so bye fore now..love and hugs..dianne
today at my center, the women are already beginning to ask me to stay and leave art go home...one girl who i have worked with came into the kitchen and just stood in front of me..\i asked her what was wrong...she said you are leaving and i am sad... that made me feel good. i have grown to love my women very much..now they feel like joking with me...they are comfortable. i bet art told you about our free upgrade tonight from the v & a hotel....wow....we are really in a plush place for sure complete with our own staircase. we thanked them for their kindness...i guess after last friday night, they felt like we needed this.i had written the manager thanking him last week for the kindness of the staff....so bye fore now..love and hugs..dianne
The Beverly Hillbillies Hit The Waterfront
As soon as we got home from our placements today, we packed, called a cab, and headed for the waterfront and another night at the V & A Waterfront Hotel. We arrived at the hotel and were told that we had been upgraded. We thought perhaps to a suite in the hotel. A suite it is, but not at the V & A Waterfront. We are at the Dock House, the V & A's boutique hotel on the waterfront. We have a little balcony that looks out on the waterfront. There is a stairway from our door to our bedroom and bath area. Our bedroom at homebase 2 could easily fit into our bathroom here with room to spare. We are not exactly dressed for the part and I guess we sounded sort of country bumpkinish as we discovered what is included with our room. We don't know why we got the upgrade, but we won't complain about it. By the way, if any of you ever come to Cape Town, the V & A Waterfront Hotel is absolutely first rate and we recommend it without reservation.
Yesterday was an amazing day at Etafeni. The unemployed young adults with whom I work put on a cultural display that is definitely one of the hightlights of my trip. The women came in traditional South African Xhosi attire which was very colorful. Two of the men also participated. All painted their faces in the traditional Xhosi markings. We were not sure if the day would even happen because it was supposed to happen last week but was postponed until this week. Deborah, the program director, was not even sure if the young adults had prepared anys sort of a program. Shortly after 10:00 they showed up and began rehearsing and I was blown away by what I heard and saw. One person, in this case a woman, would start singing and the rest joined in and before you knew it, they were singing a song in the Xhosi language in perfect harmony. I have no idea what the words were, but it did not matter. Their songs had a haunting beauty and rhythm that was captivating. They danced and it seemed that the dance came from within them and carried them away. Mind, this was only the rehearsal. Around 11:00 their performance started. The audience consisted of some of the staff, the young kids who come to Etafeni while the schools are closed for winter break, and myself and two other CCS volunteers, Jen and Aly. As I watched these unemployed young men and women perform I could not help smiling and being filled with joy. The Etafeni Day Care Center and the Fit 4 Life program are one of many Non Goverment Organizations (NGOs) that hold out a promise for a better way of life for South Africa.
Today, a new group of young adults started their orientation in Fit 4 Life. I had thought that I would be with the "old" group for another week, but they begin computer training next week. I will however work with them a couple of days next week because we did not have the chance to practice interview skills with them. I have grown very close to those who have been faithful about coming and will miss them. Deborah does amazing work with them and believes in empowering them so that they can be productive workers who treat any and every job they will have in the future as a chance to serve others. She does not believe in allowing them to play the victim. As she tells them, Apartheid is over and we are the agents of change. Deborah is very Christ centered and makes not bones about where her beliefs and values are grounded.
Before closing, a few random observations about Cape Town. No turns right or left against a red light. A Stop sign is a suggestion unless on a main thoroughfare. Bell peppers of all colors seem to be a regular ingredient in dishes. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Cars beep but rarely slow down for pedestrians. Dogs are neither spayed nor neutered. Lots of what appear to be strays in the townships. Life in townships is hard but there is great hope for improvement in the future.
Have a happy 4th everyone and will blog you later.
Art
Yesterday was an amazing day at Etafeni. The unemployed young adults with whom I work put on a cultural display that is definitely one of the hightlights of my trip. The women came in traditional South African Xhosi attire which was very colorful. Two of the men also participated. All painted their faces in the traditional Xhosi markings. We were not sure if the day would even happen because it was supposed to happen last week but was postponed until this week. Deborah, the program director, was not even sure if the young adults had prepared anys sort of a program. Shortly after 10:00 they showed up and began rehearsing and I was blown away by what I heard and saw. One person, in this case a woman, would start singing and the rest joined in and before you knew it, they were singing a song in the Xhosi language in perfect harmony. I have no idea what the words were, but it did not matter. Their songs had a haunting beauty and rhythm that was captivating. They danced and it seemed that the dance came from within them and carried them away. Mind, this was only the rehearsal. Around 11:00 their performance started. The audience consisted of some of the staff, the young kids who come to Etafeni while the schools are closed for winter break, and myself and two other CCS volunteers, Jen and Aly. As I watched these unemployed young men and women perform I could not help smiling and being filled with joy. The Etafeni Day Care Center and the Fit 4 Life program are one of many Non Goverment Organizations (NGOs) that hold out a promise for a better way of life for South Africa.
Today, a new group of young adults started their orientation in Fit 4 Life. I had thought that I would be with the "old" group for another week, but they begin computer training next week. I will however work with them a couple of days next week because we did not have the chance to practice interview skills with them. I have grown very close to those who have been faithful about coming and will miss them. Deborah does amazing work with them and believes in empowering them so that they can be productive workers who treat any and every job they will have in the future as a chance to serve others. She does not believe in allowing them to play the victim. As she tells them, Apartheid is over and we are the agents of change. Deborah is very Christ centered and makes not bones about where her beliefs and values are grounded.
Before closing, a few random observations about Cape Town. No turns right or left against a red light. A Stop sign is a suggestion unless on a main thoroughfare. Bell peppers of all colors seem to be a regular ingredient in dishes. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Cars beep but rarely slow down for pedestrians. Dogs are neither spayed nor neutered. Lots of what appear to be strays in the townships. Life in townships is hard but there is great hope for improvement in the future.
Have a happy 4th everyone and will blog you later.
Art
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
A Day Afternoon Off In Capetown
We finished our placement this morning and had lunch back at home base 2. After lunch we piled into a cab with the twins Max and Nick and Jen and Glenna and headed for Table Mountain with the intent of riding up the gondola to the top. Alas, when we arrived there, the winds were too severe so the gondola service was suspended. Not knowing if the gondola would be in service later in the day, we decided to head down the mountain and hired a cab to take four to Green Market Square (an open air bargaining market where we were two days ago) and Dianne and me to Rondebosch. We agreed on 120 Rand, but guess what? The cabbie claimed ignorance and said 120 to Green Market and then 130 to Rondebosch. It cost us 120 from Rondebosch to Table Mountain, so our driver was attempting to cheat us. We refused to pay that amount and all got out at Green Market and paid 60 and walked away. Thank goodness for Jen. Sher took the lead in refusing and stuck to her guns. I am sure the cabbie was pissed, but he was trying to take us for a ride in more ways than one. Lesson learned. Always havethe cab run the meter if a metered cab.
This morning at Etafeni was a very good morning for me. I was able to give a short lesson about body language and how we communicate nonverbally through our bodies. I got one of the girls to volunteer and took her outside and told here we would do a skit. I was to start telling her a story and her instruction was to let the rest of the class know that she was not at all interested in what I was saying through her body language. She did a very good job and the rest of the class correctly chose bored and uninterested in my story. We also talked about body language during an interview and how to sit and how to place hands and how to dress for the interview. It was fun to teach.
After tea at 10, Deborah conducted a discussion with the students about their attitudes towards homosexual sex, promiscuity, obligations of HIV+ people to disclose to families and also whether HIV+ people should abstain from sex and should a pregnant HIV+ mother have an abortion. I have never seen this group so engaged as with this discussion. It was amazing to watch and I told them I was greatly impressed by their level of discussion when I had to leave for the day. They had definite and divergent opinions, some of which were influenced by their religious views and were very eloquent in expressing themselves. It was a real treat for me. Tomorrow, they are going to put on a cultural display which should be interesting and informative.
Tomorrow we go the Area 6 museum and to the Slave Lodge. I really like the balance between volunteerism, free time, and cultural learning experiences. Cross Cultural Solutions is a reall tiptop organization.
Really need to go now. Hope all are well and keeping us and South Africa in your thoughts and prayers.
Art
This morning at Etafeni was a very good morning for me. I was able to give a short lesson about body language and how we communicate nonverbally through our bodies. I got one of the girls to volunteer and took her outside and told here we would do a skit. I was to start telling her a story and her instruction was to let the rest of the class know that she was not at all interested in what I was saying through her body language. She did a very good job and the rest of the class correctly chose bored and uninterested in my story. We also talked about body language during an interview and how to sit and how to place hands and how to dress for the interview. It was fun to teach.
After tea at 10, Deborah conducted a discussion with the students about their attitudes towards homosexual sex, promiscuity, obligations of HIV+ people to disclose to families and also whether HIV+ people should abstain from sex and should a pregnant HIV+ mother have an abortion. I have never seen this group so engaged as with this discussion. It was amazing to watch and I told them I was greatly impressed by their level of discussion when I had to leave for the day. They had definite and divergent opinions, some of which were influenced by their religious views and were very eloquent in expressing themselves. It was a real treat for me. Tomorrow, they are going to put on a cultural display which should be interesting and informative.
Tomorrow we go the Area 6 museum and to the Slave Lodge. I really like the balance between volunteerism, free time, and cultural learning experiences. Cross Cultural Solutions is a reall tiptop organization.
Really need to go now. Hope all are well and keeping us and South Africa in your thoughts and prayers.
Art
Wwednesday at the Cape
We tried to go to the top of table mountain in a 56 passenger cable car. At the top, Art and four more were going to rapell down the mountain and back up....I was to sit at the top and video this...but, when we got to the top, they just closed the cable car due to winds. Boo Hoo..our days are running out and we might not get to do this now. This is one of the hazards of this venture today. So we are able to find an internet cafe, Cafe no....in the back of a barber shop, down a seemy hallway. Here are the computers.
yesterday we had a speaker who spoke to us of the rights of the grape pickers in the wine country...it parallels the migrant workers of California. They now have a union working for them, but before 1994, women worked from Sunday to Friday and came home with 30 rand because they deducted for food and lodging...that is the equivalent of 30 cents. The men got a little more. When they picked the conditions were and are very poor for them..it is a seasonal work so people are left to being homeless when it is not picking season. Things are changing now for the better...very slowly, but they are changing. I think through educating the young people, rights will change here.
Before the talk, the CCS staff gave us a huge lunch, complete with turkey, and fixings for sandwiches...and chocolate cake...you can imagine how yanks devour a feast like this. We are also enjoying sunshine still and eating outside is a pleasure. Keep your fingers crossed that we do not have the torential rains that we had last week....my water wings got so wet.
Tomorrow we go to a lunch spot where we will be entertained by african singers than tour the slave lodge and museum. This weekend we will visit the vineyards one day and Sunday go to the around the cape.. It is cheap because the van fits 8 to 10 of us. We have formed a family within the house family. THe teen twins keep us laughing....they keep trying to get there dad to let them do what the adults are doing like bunjee jump, shark dive and many more things...poor dad , he just shakes his head and says, "my partner will kill me if I do that." He did entrust the twins with us today. Dad needs a break.
My field placement continues to be a learning for me and an opportunity for me to use my talents.....I must learn to not get sucked into their stories too much....today I learned that one thing that happens is that women often make up stories to get into the center to get clothes and free services and then they leave in the middle of the night.. This does not always happen, but once in awhile it does... Young moms use the luxury of the creche to drop their babies and then they go smoke in the sun......they are not to do this since the poor creche worker has big kids along with the babies....
Art and i have decided to return to the hotel for Friday night since last friday night was not so good. Thank you for all of your emails..hearing from the other side of the world is good for me. Bye and love...Dianne
yesterday we had a speaker who spoke to us of the rights of the grape pickers in the wine country...it parallels the migrant workers of California. They now have a union working for them, but before 1994, women worked from Sunday to Friday and came home with 30 rand because they deducted for food and lodging...that is the equivalent of 30 cents. The men got a little more. When they picked the conditions were and are very poor for them..it is a seasonal work so people are left to being homeless when it is not picking season. Things are changing now for the better...very slowly, but they are changing. I think through educating the young people, rights will change here.
Before the talk, the CCS staff gave us a huge lunch, complete with turkey, and fixings for sandwiches...and chocolate cake...you can imagine how yanks devour a feast like this. We are also enjoying sunshine still and eating outside is a pleasure. Keep your fingers crossed that we do not have the torential rains that we had last week....my water wings got so wet.
Tomorrow we go to a lunch spot where we will be entertained by african singers than tour the slave lodge and museum. This weekend we will visit the vineyards one day and Sunday go to the around the cape.. It is cheap because the van fits 8 to 10 of us. We have formed a family within the house family. THe teen twins keep us laughing....they keep trying to get there dad to let them do what the adults are doing like bunjee jump, shark dive and many more things...poor dad , he just shakes his head and says, "my partner will kill me if I do that." He did entrust the twins with us today. Dad needs a break.
My field placement continues to be a learning for me and an opportunity for me to use my talents.....I must learn to not get sucked into their stories too much....today I learned that one thing that happens is that women often make up stories to get into the center to get clothes and free services and then they leave in the middle of the night.. This does not always happen, but once in awhile it does... Young moms use the luxury of the creche to drop their babies and then they go smoke in the sun......they are not to do this since the poor creche worker has big kids along with the babies....
Art and i have decided to return to the hotel for Friday night since last friday night was not so good. Thank you for all of your emails..hearing from the other side of the world is good for me. Bye and love...Dianne
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