The fact that South Africa is a developing nation has been ringing home the last two weeks as the whole country has been gripped with “Load Shedding” a euphemism for the utilities shutting down power for several hours a day due to inadequate supplies of electricity. The power plants and transfer stations that should have been developed since apartheid to provide electricity for an industrialized developed nation were handed over to the private sector to build. Alas, since electricity here is a cheap commodity the private sector could not profitably build the infrastructure needed. Voila! The country is short of power with no easy short term fixes.
So what does “Load Shedding” mean for Peace Corps volunteers at a rural site where the power supply is inconsistent anyway? The summer thunderstorms cause numerous outages and one is advised to cook early in the day as electricity provides the only means of heating food on that handy-dandy hot plate. Two weeks ago the power went off suddenly in the morning and did not return until the next day. The day was not stormy so there appeared to be no explanation for the outage. The next day the outage lasted most of the day and finally came back on at 630pm in time to cook dinner. A radio report announced the bad news- the whole country was blacked out for several hours a day. There was no excess capacity and the utility company required each municipality to decide who and when to cut each day. By the fourth or fifth day everyone was getting cranky about the power as there was no pattern to the shut offs. After one week the shut downs took on a pattern with 3 hours out in the morning and two hours from 4 to 6pm. Moods improved when people learned how to plan. However, business losses were huge and traffic came to a standstill as the robots (traffic lights) in the cities did not work not to mention the electrical security fences that guard most of JoBurg. Most retail stores tried to stay open but there were few customers that ventured into town to shop. The tram heading up Table Mountain was stuck part way up. This week the platinum and gold mines had to close, causing the prices to rise and the stock market here to take a nosedive.
The Bonds were prepared for the power outages with their flashlights, headlamps, and candles. Our one room flat was lit up like a scene from a romantic movie. However after the third night of eating cold food and hauling out the old wine bottles used as candle holders the scene grew tiresome. The outages were taking their toll on our food supply with pungent smells coming from the frig. Fortunately after a week the power came on promptly at 630pm in time to cook dinner. At first we joked that the poor in the rural areas were required to sacrifice their sole means of cooking so that the rich in Durban could run their air conditioners during a heat wave but the problem is more complex than a brownout from excessive demand.
Last weekend we muddled whether to take the taxi to town or stay on the mountain, not knowing whether there was power in town. We needed groceries and a change of scenery after being at Mountain High for two weeks. We caught Mr. Zulu’s taxi and checked into our b and b. The young girl at the desk said we had our choice of rooms as the lodge and town were empty. We took a back room away from the road which was a mistake as it faces the rear of a slaughter house which had one of the few generators in town. Promptly at 10am and 4pm, as soon as the power went down, the noisy generator cranked up.
So what to do this weekend when TV and computers were idle? We hiked up the Vryheid Hill to spot game. Not only did we see eland, zebras, bushbuck, and impala, but their n flourishing new born young out learning the ropes. Ever see a baby zebra nurse? The impalas were shy and quickly routed their babies to protected covens. The small impalas had strong legs, however, and were able to run in time with their guardians. The impalas have a lovely grace and are a beautiful combination of white underbelly, wide tan stripe above the white and a chestnut brown top. The colors reminded me of Scotchmallow fondants at Sees Candies in the US. We were the only hikers in the preserve and chatted with the game warden on the hike down the hill. He was interested in getting the track repaired so more people could drive through the lovely preserve. I retorted that the game and atmosphere would drastically change if more vehicles braved the steep road. However, it was a shame that more people did not take advantage of the beautiful sights just a short walk from town. .
We felt restored after seeing the game and listening to the beautiful bird calls. Back at the B and B we wondered what to do for dinner and headed across the street to Dee’s, Vryheid’s finest restaurant. Dees’ is a classic South African restaurant with grilled meats and baby chicken, fish, crayfish ,and prawns and of course Greek salad which is on every restaurant in this country. (Someone must have wondered what to do with all the goats’ milk in SA, “Hey, why not make feta and popularize Greek salad). Garlic snails, mushrooms and side sauces like spicy peri-peri and monkey gland are universal on all menus. Meats include steaks, lamb chops, Rump and of course Ladies Rump at a discount. Dees has an elegant dining room and features upscale delights like steak stuffed with mussels or prawns with entrees being less than $10, sweet for Peace Corps budgets. I have made it a note to try Monkey Gland before returning home if only to find out its true source.
This night was a special annual event at Dee’s. Two rock bands had been hired to play 60’s, 70’s and 80’s goodies outside on their patio overlooking a beautiful garden with old growth trees, flowers and fountains. We asked to sit outside to listen to the bands and the waitress cautioned that the bands might be too loud for us. We told her not to worry and spent a lovely summer night listening to Our Music and finally feeling that we knew the culture and what was going on. This is what we have missed-the element of being in a crowd for pleasure, enjoyment and fun and not having to guess what is proper behavior. We were able to relax and just be another music lover rather than the object of curiosity or an outsider. The pleasure was great and diminished the power frustrations. The evocative music lasted into the next day as we headed back to the Hospital with the sounds of the Beatles and Sweet Alabama ringing in our ears.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Searching for Grub-Round 2
Last week the Bond’s left you wondering whether they had chicken heads or eggs in their Bobotie. Fortunately the locals took pity on the silly Americans and understood what the poor soles were trying to communicate. The bobotie was a big success and a treat to eat. The next day (last Saturday 13 Jan) we attempted to hike to the site of commerce in our very rural small community, and purchase eggs and a tube of toothpaste.
Our mountain home consists of the AIDs/TB hospital high on a ridge overlooking a rural valley with small kraals (ranches). The mountain is also home to a deserted tea plantation, timber mill, Catholic shrine, indigenous nature preserve, and liquor store/tuck shop. We decided to take a short cut to get to the store, rather than traveling 4km down the dirt road to the tar road and hiking up and down the busy highway 3 km to the store.
So what’s it like to take the shortcut cross town to the store? Our coworkers had advised us that there was a great shortcut to the local tuck shop and to head to the right past the neighbor’s farm. So with that extensive guide map, we headed out the dirt road, over the bare rock section, past the high plain for grazing to the intersection with our neighbor’s farm. (The neighbor has a lumber trucking business and cattle enterprise and has been friendly when he passes us hiking down the track.) We walked down his long drive to his home where 3 dogs started barking and protecting their master’s estate. We hurried past the gate where the 3 dogs were ready to lunge and waved hello to the workers who came out to see the commotion. Thoughts of being accosted or arrested jumped through our minds but the adventure beckoned. Just past the gate we ran into mud on the track and several abandoned buildings. There were large vines and luscious overhanging flowers. This certainly was the tropical side of Mountain High. The track twisted around the neighbor’s estate until we reached a T. The left track went up the hillside away from what we thought was the direction of the small store. The right track headed into a dense forest of beautiful yellowing deciduous trees and ferns. The track grew smaller into a narrow path. Ahead I saw something in the path- a beautiful grey duiker and then another duiker headed the other direction. A lover’s spat? We headed down the slope on a narrow grassy footpath and were rewarded by a view of the water source for all of our mountain population-two lovely pristine lakes surrounded by virgin indigenous forest. The footpath crossed the isthmus between the small lakes.
Water is as scarce as transport here so the sight of these beautiful lakes was a treat for the eyes and soul. Many years ago, the NGO we work for sold grazing land to the neighbor in order to obtain access to the clean water in front of our view.
After crossing the small lakes we headed up the hillside, losing the obscure trail. After a short ways we came to a small pond where cattle were grazing. At the top of the hill above the pond a tin roofed farmhouse and kraal came into view. As we walked past the pond, a water monitor three feet long raged across the path into the pond. Of course, we jumped back and thought that crocodiles were part of this ecosystem. But a water monitor was pretty exciting to Southern California folks who get excited about geckos. We hiked past the pond and cows and headed towards the farmhouse. By this time we were completely lost with no indication of where the small settlement was located or the roads. We looked back at the pond and saw three makotis (matrons) following in our footsteps. We stopped to wait for them to catch up so that we could ask for directions. In my best Zulu I asked them where the tuck shop was located for the timber mill, and the women burst out laughing. They pointed to the farm house and said Lapha (There). We followed them through the kissing gates and up the small trail to the small store, which did have toothpaste and eggs. Success!
The small store was fixed in a former time with two styles of shoes, bags of mealies, watchbands, school supplies, cans of deviled meat, sewing notions, soap, eggs, tomatoes, onions and ice cold sodas. We asked the proprietor about the lizard and he laughed when we mentioned crocodile. No, he said in his best English, the lizards are varan.
So at last we had come to Mountain High central trading and were able to purchase needed items. I believe that getting there was at least half the fun!
Our mountain home consists of the AIDs/TB hospital high on a ridge overlooking a rural valley with small kraals (ranches). The mountain is also home to a deserted tea plantation, timber mill, Catholic shrine, indigenous nature preserve, and liquor store/tuck shop. We decided to take a short cut to get to the store, rather than traveling 4km down the dirt road to the tar road and hiking up and down the busy highway 3 km to the store.
So what’s it like to take the shortcut cross town to the store? Our coworkers had advised us that there was a great shortcut to the local tuck shop and to head to the right past the neighbor’s farm. So with that extensive guide map, we headed out the dirt road, over the bare rock section, past the high plain for grazing to the intersection with our neighbor’s farm. (The neighbor has a lumber trucking business and cattle enterprise and has been friendly when he passes us hiking down the track.) We walked down his long drive to his home where 3 dogs started barking and protecting their master’s estate. We hurried past the gate where the 3 dogs were ready to lunge and waved hello to the workers who came out to see the commotion. Thoughts of being accosted or arrested jumped through our minds but the adventure beckoned. Just past the gate we ran into mud on the track and several abandoned buildings. There were large vines and luscious overhanging flowers. This certainly was the tropical side of Mountain High. The track twisted around the neighbor’s estate until we reached a T. The left track went up the hillside away from what we thought was the direction of the small store. The right track headed into a dense forest of beautiful yellowing deciduous trees and ferns. The track grew smaller into a narrow path. Ahead I saw something in the path- a beautiful grey duiker and then another duiker headed the other direction. A lover’s spat? We headed down the slope on a narrow grassy footpath and were rewarded by a view of the water source for all of our mountain population-two lovely pristine lakes surrounded by virgin indigenous forest. The footpath crossed the isthmus between the small lakes.
Water is as scarce as transport here so the sight of these beautiful lakes was a treat for the eyes and soul. Many years ago, the NGO we work for sold grazing land to the neighbor in order to obtain access to the clean water in front of our view.
After crossing the small lakes we headed up the hillside, losing the obscure trail. After a short ways we came to a small pond where cattle were grazing. At the top of the hill above the pond a tin roofed farmhouse and kraal came into view. As we walked past the pond, a water monitor three feet long raged across the path into the pond. Of course, we jumped back and thought that crocodiles were part of this ecosystem. But a water monitor was pretty exciting to Southern California folks who get excited about geckos. We hiked past the pond and cows and headed towards the farmhouse. By this time we were completely lost with no indication of where the small settlement was located or the roads. We looked back at the pond and saw three makotis (matrons) following in our footsteps. We stopped to wait for them to catch up so that we could ask for directions. In my best Zulu I asked them where the tuck shop was located for the timber mill, and the women burst out laughing. They pointed to the farm house and said Lapha (There). We followed them through the kissing gates and up the small trail to the small store, which did have toothpaste and eggs. Success!
The small store was fixed in a former time with two styles of shoes, bags of mealies, watchbands, school supplies, cans of deviled meat, sewing notions, soap, eggs, tomatoes, onions and ice cold sodas. We asked the proprietor about the lizard and he laughed when we mentioned crocodile. No, he said in his best English, the lizards are varan.
So at last we had come to Mountain High central trading and were able to purchase needed items. I believe that getting there was at least half the fun!
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Eggheads Anyone?-Peace Corps Grub
Common wisdom holds that cuisine is the easiest introduction to another culture. If the food from another country tastes good, what’s not to like about that ethnic group or nationality? After 19 months of working as Peace Corps Volunteers in South Africa, the Bond’s have learned about the tastes of this host country and enjoyed the bounty of this fertile land. Although water is a scarce resource, the native forests and farms yield multitude varieties of mushrooms, mangoes, shallots, litchis, guavas, papayas, sweet succulent squash, aromatic carrots, flavorful firm tomatoes and luscious avocadoes. The free-range chickens are plump and juicy with intense flavor and very little fat. The lamb is gamey and delicious. The pork is tasty and cured without nitrates so has a mild smoky taste. The varieties of sausage are endless and harkens back to the voortrekkers and their fabulous home recipes for wors. Braai (barbeque) is the unifying food among the many cultural and language groups in South Africa with everyone loving beef and a national holiday called “Braai Day.”
Ironically, food causes the most tension among Peace Corps volunteers and their host families. Most volunteers spend their two years living with a family (as we did our first two months of training) and eat with the family. Thus their diet may not have the variety of food as in the United States or the familiarity. Food habits are among the hardest to change. The Zulu’s diet in our area consists of mealy meal (pap) porridge, sauce for the porridge, vegetable- squash, chard, or beet root and rice for special dinners. Zulus love meat but cannot afford to eat it every day. All parts of the beef or chicken are eaten with a brand name of “Walkie Talkie” chicken (heads and feet.) The Zulus are careful cooks and take time to make the food tasty with sauce mixes. They do not like spicy foods. Thus comes the rub when a volunteer arrives as a guest and cannot eat his/her familiar foods because they are not available and the family cannot afford the American style ingredients. Volunteers are encouraged to purchase foods for the family and do their share of cooking but many volunteers come to Africa without the knowledge or experience to prepare their favorite foods. (Hint for Peace Corps applicants-Bring your favorite recipes with you and learn to cook before you get here-NO McDonald’s on every corner). Another problem is that food purchased by the volunteer becomes the property of the entire family-Ubuntu or community. So misunderstandings occur. (I remember a low point in training, everyone is calorie deprived at this time, when I had selected 5 perfect apples from the market to share with the family and they all disappeared within a few minutes with none for the hungry Bond’s). When we arrived at Mountain High, we decided to cook all of our meals in our one room flat off the business office and have enjoyed having a family life and seeing what can be created on a hot plate and occasional access to an oven.
Food is precious because it is so hard to obtain or grow here at Mountain High. Simple purchase of groceries requires a 2 hour taxi ride to town, a 1 km hike across town to the supermarket, purchase of the groceries and packing them in backpacks or large plastic tote bags, 1 km hike back across town to the taxi, a 2 hour taxi ride back to our mountain site and sometimes a 4 km hike from the tar road to the Hospital. Thus each item is carefully selected for size, durability and consistency with the meal plan for the week. No bags of chips on impulse or large roasts!
After many days in hotels over Christmas and recovery from wisdom tooth misery, Brendon decided to cook a celebratory South African dish on Friday night, “Bobotie”. This dish has Malay origins in Cape Town and is a fabulous concoction of beef or lamb, spices, fruits, nuts, chutney with a cream/egg topping. Originally it was cooked over an open fire in a special brown ceramic pot. Maybe the world’s best meat loaf or savory fruit cake! We found all of the ingredients and prepared the meat mixture. Trouble Hit! No eggs for the topping. It’s a long ways to run to the supermarket so I made a break for the Mountain High tuck shop. Every community in South Africa has a tuck shop, which is a very small convenience store, sometimes the back end of someone’s home. Alas although the shop sells shoe polish (good looking shoes and clothing are essential in South Africa), no eggs were to be found. A run to the Hospital kitchen and a plea for “Amakhanda” only drove the kitchen cooks into hysterics as I forgot the Click required to say eggs and instead asked them for chicken heads. They finally brought out 4 precious eggs and we were able to enjoy the Bobotie. This dish is a visual delight as the bay leaves stand tall in the custard looking like sails on the ship of good taste. Our first taste of Bobotie was in Darling where the satirist Evita de Perone had a topping that was thick and tasted of Mascarpone and Cream Fraiche. Alas his recipe not to be found.
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium sized onions, chopped
10 ml vegetable oil
40 ml butter
600 g ground beef or ground lamb
2 thick slices of stale white bread
125 g sultana raisins
60 ml flaked almonds
40 ml chutney
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10 ml masala (curry powder)
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp minced ginger
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
3 cloves
salt to taste
ground black pepper
10 bay leaves
Egg custard:
3 eggs
150 ml milk
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Fry the onions in vegetable oil and butter over medium heat until they begin to brown. Add the beef and brown for a few minutes. Place the beef in a colander and soak the bread in the juice that drains from it.
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef and all the rest of the ingredients except the bay leaves. Press the bobotie mixture into a deep oven-proof dish. Spike the bay leaves into the mince.
Beat together the eggs and milk and pour over the top of the mince. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until the custard has browned.
Serve the bobotie with geel rys (white rice cooked with turmeric, raisins and cloves), chutney, chopped tomato and onion, sliced banana and desiccated coconut. Serves 6 - 8 people.
Ironically, food causes the most tension among Peace Corps volunteers and their host families. Most volunteers spend their two years living with a family (as we did our first two months of training) and eat with the family. Thus their diet may not have the variety of food as in the United States or the familiarity. Food habits are among the hardest to change. The Zulu’s diet in our area consists of mealy meal (pap) porridge, sauce for the porridge, vegetable- squash, chard, or beet root and rice for special dinners. Zulus love meat but cannot afford to eat it every day. All parts of the beef or chicken are eaten with a brand name of “Walkie Talkie” chicken (heads and feet.) The Zulus are careful cooks and take time to make the food tasty with sauce mixes. They do not like spicy foods. Thus comes the rub when a volunteer arrives as a guest and cannot eat his/her familiar foods because they are not available and the family cannot afford the American style ingredients. Volunteers are encouraged to purchase foods for the family and do their share of cooking but many volunteers come to Africa without the knowledge or experience to prepare their favorite foods. (Hint for Peace Corps applicants-Bring your favorite recipes with you and learn to cook before you get here-NO McDonald’s on every corner). Another problem is that food purchased by the volunteer becomes the property of the entire family-Ubuntu or community. So misunderstandings occur. (I remember a low point in training, everyone is calorie deprived at this time, when I had selected 5 perfect apples from the market to share with the family and they all disappeared within a few minutes with none for the hungry Bond’s). When we arrived at Mountain High, we decided to cook all of our meals in our one room flat off the business office and have enjoyed having a family life and seeing what can be created on a hot plate and occasional access to an oven.
Food is precious because it is so hard to obtain or grow here at Mountain High. Simple purchase of groceries requires a 2 hour taxi ride to town, a 1 km hike across town to the supermarket, purchase of the groceries and packing them in backpacks or large plastic tote bags, 1 km hike back across town to the taxi, a 2 hour taxi ride back to our mountain site and sometimes a 4 km hike from the tar road to the Hospital. Thus each item is carefully selected for size, durability and consistency with the meal plan for the week. No bags of chips on impulse or large roasts!
After many days in hotels over Christmas and recovery from wisdom tooth misery, Brendon decided to cook a celebratory South African dish on Friday night, “Bobotie”. This dish has Malay origins in Cape Town and is a fabulous concoction of beef or lamb, spices, fruits, nuts, chutney with a cream/egg topping. Originally it was cooked over an open fire in a special brown ceramic pot. Maybe the world’s best meat loaf or savory fruit cake! We found all of the ingredients and prepared the meat mixture. Trouble Hit! No eggs for the topping. It’s a long ways to run to the supermarket so I made a break for the Mountain High tuck shop. Every community in South Africa has a tuck shop, which is a very small convenience store, sometimes the back end of someone’s home. Alas although the shop sells shoe polish (good looking shoes and clothing are essential in South Africa), no eggs were to be found. A run to the Hospital kitchen and a plea for “Amakhanda” only drove the kitchen cooks into hysterics as I forgot the Click required to say eggs and instead asked them for chicken heads. They finally brought out 4 precious eggs and we were able to enjoy the Bobotie. This dish is a visual delight as the bay leaves stand tall in the custard looking like sails on the ship of good taste. Our first taste of Bobotie was in Darling where the satirist Evita de Perone had a topping that was thick and tasted of Mascarpone and Cream Fraiche. Alas his recipe not to be found.
INGREDIENTS:
2 medium sized onions, chopped
10 ml vegetable oil
40 ml butter
600 g ground beef or ground lamb
2 thick slices of stale white bread
125 g sultana raisins
60 ml flaked almonds
40 ml chutney
2 garlic cloves, crushed
10 ml masala (curry powder)
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp minced ginger
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
3 cloves
salt to taste
ground black pepper
10 bay leaves
Egg custard:
3 eggs
150 ml milk
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Fry the onions in vegetable oil and butter over medium heat until they begin to brown. Add the beef and brown for a few minutes. Place the beef in a colander and soak the bread in the juice that drains from it.
In a mixing bowl, combine the beef and all the rest of the ingredients except the bay leaves. Press the bobotie mixture into a deep oven-proof dish. Spike the bay leaves into the mince.
Beat together the eggs and milk and pour over the top of the mince. Bake at 200°C for 30 minutes until the custard has browned.
Serve the bobotie with geel rys (white rice cooked with turmeric, raisins and cloves), chutney, chopped tomato and onion, sliced banana and desiccated coconut. Serves 6 - 8 people.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Clarens Views
Sunday, January 06, 2008
TIA This IS Africa
Instead of plunging back into work at Mountain High Hospital at the start of the New Year, Brendon and I have returned to Pretoria for follow-up treatment of the infected wisdom tooth pulled last month. The dentist diagnosed the problem as “Dry Socket” and prescribed the antibiotic that will cure the bone infection so today I am on the mend-mending in comfort next to a beautiful swimming pool in a tropical setting. This morning we attending the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Hatfield which aptly describes the country-Uniting is in process; not there yet. Tomorrow a final recheck with the dentist and then back to Mountain High Hospital to assist the patients and staff.
The Occupational Therapy is continually in flux as patients are discharged and new patients are admitted. The last month had the men in the majority and they eagerly sewed shirts, beaded and made shoes from impala skins. Unfortunately, they spend more time at the hospital as they are less compliant with the drug and lifestyle regimes for TB and AIDS. So towards the end of December many women were discharged or given passes while the men remained confined to the Hospital. Both the men and women are amiable and fun to work with. In spite of their conditions, they never whine or feel sorry for themselves and seek to laugh and joke at any opportunity-especially at the absurd Zulu of their American handcraft teacher!
I have wondered why the blogs of my colleagues are not as full of wonder and insights as they originally were when we first arrived at our work sights. The problem is that the inane experiences and amazing sights are now old hat and we are failing to see the beauty and delight of the everyday as it has now become commonplace. The taxi rides are tedious and uncomfortable. The wonderful inguni cows and goats in the road are just a nusiance. (Our taxi driver Mr. Zulu purchased a long whip when he purchased his new van which he uses to swat the cows which will not move out of the road. The goats are smarter and scurry to the roadside when cars come). Being a pedestrian is fraught with danger and fear from drivers and muggers. 40% of all traffic fatalities in SA are pedestrian deaths. The drivers speed up in intersections instead of slowing down. The pedestrian does not have the right of way and has to scurry out of the road just like the goats. The attitude “TIA This IS Africa” was humorous at first but now the delays, slowness of pace and inability to get anything done creates a feeling of impotence and waste, albeit the status quo.
Employees in South Africa complain about the low wages but they appreciate the generous public holidays, paid leave, government medical care, tea time breaks, long lunch periods, no overtime required and secure employment. I have told them about work in America with 10 hour days, weekend work, no coffee breaks, intense competition for jobs, accountability for productivity, and customer service satisfaction. Plus if one cannot rise to the task there are dozens waiting in line for the job. Globalization requires that productivity must rise in order to meet world standards. The employees are incredulous about work standards in America but they also are incredulous that Americans would volunteer to come to Africa to work for nothing.
Family is everything to South Africans and that spirit of community or Ubuntu is the factor that is keeping the villages together in spite of all the deaths of parents and workers from AIDS. Everyone is an Auntie or Sister or Brother or Father and they do not hesitate to jump in and help care for the orphans left behind.
In spite of sounding jaded and tired of my experience as a volunteer in South Africa, there are so many things that I love about the country and its people. These blessings and pleasures are bestowed in so many ways in many places:
The beautiful smiles of the children in our mountain community and their eagerness to talk and run with us. “Gejima” (Run) I call, “Shesha” (Faster).
The over 900 varieties of birds in this country that create a landscape of color and sound. The gardens are landscaping in the cities are crowded with exotic birds with beautiful calls not to mention the ever present hadeda Ibis which scream at the top of their lungs in flight and are beautiful/ugly in their iridescent feathers and huge ungainly forms
Game spotting when you least expect it. Yesterday at the botanical gardens in Pretoria a young grey duiker was seen in a field of yellow wild flowers next to two guinea fowl, proud in their white spots and turquoise crest. Game is ubiquitous in South Africa, not just the national parks or game preserves. The fun is to spot and then identify the game and see what other species are around. Giraffes are never alone; zebras are often accompanied by eland or impalas. Baboons are always in a troop with the babies clutching the mother’s breast as she runs through the forest.
Learning many new cultures and customs finally getting the story straight. Last year when we arrived a minister announced that he had an impala to give away. We did not know whether he was referring to a car or a mammal but now we know that animals, hides, skins and antlers are all part of the cultures here not to mention biltong (jerky) which is made from every type of game including elephant.
The wonderful tribal clothing and uniforms that everyone wears from school children in their striped ties and colors to church ladies with blue and white started gowns or crimson with white crosses.
The hospitality and comfort of the lodges, backpackers and b and b establishments and the unique flavor of each. It will be hard going back to cookie cutter motels in America. (not to mention US food and wine prices Ugh!)
So there is a reason that Peace Corps service is only 2 years. After that the wonder and appreciation for the novelty and excitement wears off and one becomes part of the system here in South Africa. We will see how much of the US seems new when we get home and surely will miss many things about SA. See you in July!
The Occupational Therapy is continually in flux as patients are discharged and new patients are admitted. The last month had the men in the majority and they eagerly sewed shirts, beaded and made shoes from impala skins. Unfortunately, they spend more time at the hospital as they are less compliant with the drug and lifestyle regimes for TB and AIDS. So towards the end of December many women were discharged or given passes while the men remained confined to the Hospital. Both the men and women are amiable and fun to work with. In spite of their conditions, they never whine or feel sorry for themselves and seek to laugh and joke at any opportunity-especially at the absurd Zulu of their American handcraft teacher!
I have wondered why the blogs of my colleagues are not as full of wonder and insights as they originally were when we first arrived at our work sights. The problem is that the inane experiences and amazing sights are now old hat and we are failing to see the beauty and delight of the everyday as it has now become commonplace. The taxi rides are tedious and uncomfortable. The wonderful inguni cows and goats in the road are just a nusiance. (Our taxi driver Mr. Zulu purchased a long whip when he purchased his new van which he uses to swat the cows which will not move out of the road. The goats are smarter and scurry to the roadside when cars come). Being a pedestrian is fraught with danger and fear from drivers and muggers. 40% of all traffic fatalities in SA are pedestrian deaths. The drivers speed up in intersections instead of slowing down. The pedestrian does not have the right of way and has to scurry out of the road just like the goats. The attitude “TIA This IS Africa” was humorous at first but now the delays, slowness of pace and inability to get anything done creates a feeling of impotence and waste, albeit the status quo.
Employees in South Africa complain about the low wages but they appreciate the generous public holidays, paid leave, government medical care, tea time breaks, long lunch periods, no overtime required and secure employment. I have told them about work in America with 10 hour days, weekend work, no coffee breaks, intense competition for jobs, accountability for productivity, and customer service satisfaction. Plus if one cannot rise to the task there are dozens waiting in line for the job. Globalization requires that productivity must rise in order to meet world standards. The employees are incredulous about work standards in America but they also are incredulous that Americans would volunteer to come to Africa to work for nothing.
Family is everything to South Africans and that spirit of community or Ubuntu is the factor that is keeping the villages together in spite of all the deaths of parents and workers from AIDS. Everyone is an Auntie or Sister or Brother or Father and they do not hesitate to jump in and help care for the orphans left behind.
In spite of sounding jaded and tired of my experience as a volunteer in South Africa, there are so many things that I love about the country and its people. These blessings and pleasures are bestowed in so many ways in many places:
The beautiful smiles of the children in our mountain community and their eagerness to talk and run with us. “Gejima” (Run) I call, “Shesha” (Faster).
The over 900 varieties of birds in this country that create a landscape of color and sound. The gardens are landscaping in the cities are crowded with exotic birds with beautiful calls not to mention the ever present hadeda Ibis which scream at the top of their lungs in flight and are beautiful/ugly in their iridescent feathers and huge ungainly forms
Game spotting when you least expect it. Yesterday at the botanical gardens in Pretoria a young grey duiker was seen in a field of yellow wild flowers next to two guinea fowl, proud in their white spots and turquoise crest. Game is ubiquitous in South Africa, not just the national parks or game preserves. The fun is to spot and then identify the game and see what other species are around. Giraffes are never alone; zebras are often accompanied by eland or impalas. Baboons are always in a troop with the babies clutching the mother’s breast as she runs through the forest.
Learning many new cultures and customs finally getting the story straight. Last year when we arrived a minister announced that he had an impala to give away. We did not know whether he was referring to a car or a mammal but now we know that animals, hides, skins and antlers are all part of the cultures here not to mention biltong (jerky) which is made from every type of game including elephant.
The wonderful tribal clothing and uniforms that everyone wears from school children in their striped ties and colors to church ladies with blue and white started gowns or crimson with white crosses.
The hospitality and comfort of the lodges, backpackers and b and b establishments and the unique flavor of each. It will be hard going back to cookie cutter motels in America. (not to mention US food and wine prices Ugh!)
So there is a reason that Peace Corps service is only 2 years. After that the wonder and appreciation for the novelty and excitement wears off and one becomes part of the system here in South Africa. We will see how much of the US seems new when we get home and surely will miss many things about SA. See you in July!
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