Buses and Surfing

The bus drivers went on strike and decided not to tell anyone, apparently. So I waited for a bus for about 30 minutes yesterday then realized I should probably take a taxi. Shouldn't someone post a sign or something?

But the great part is that loads of white people are now riding the Minibus Taxis. On my taxi this morning there was an older white woman who told the driver, "I never take your taxis just because the step is too high and it's hard for me to get in and out. That's the only reason. Otherwise, I would. I swear." Right.

Is anyone tired of hearing about the Minibus Taxis yet?

Eleanor (one of my roommates) and I had a surfing lesson on Sunday morning with her 60-something (I'm guessing) yoga instructor. He's everything you would imagine a 60-something surfing yoga instructor who offers to give free lessons to 20-something foreign girls to be. Really. He told me I have nice teeth. But he was incredibly sweet and it was very nice of him to give his time. I made it up to standing twice, for brief periods, which was a huge accomplishment. And I was incredibly sore yesterday - in unexpected places like my toes and elbows (who knew we had muscles in our toes). Surfing is a lot of work. But I think we're going to go out again sometime soon. I can understand why the sport attracts a whole culture of fanatics. There is something spiritual about having the power of the ocean behind you, carrying you along.

I have been missing Minneapolis quite a bit lately. Having the ocean here is great, of course, and the warmth and sun are blessings, but being on unfamiliar ground day in and day out is tiring (and a bit lonely). It is, however, a wonderful experience for me to go away and realize exactly why I appreciate being at home.

Photos I Didn't Take

I haven't taken many photos here so I'm cheating: here are some photos that other people took (I found them on flickr.com). But they're all pictures I could have taken, i.e. places I have been, things I have seen. How's that for a compromise?

The Beach

Hair Cut Salon

Smith Street

Woman Carrying Bag on Her Head (This is incredibly common.)

This is How We Drive

Gateway Mall ( the largest mall in the Southern Hemisphere)

Harbor at Sunset

Kwa Mashu, Inanda, and "Fat Cook"

Yesterday was a big day. We went to two townships, Kwa Mashu and Inanda, with a team of four to speak with high school principals about the possibility of doing Life Skills programs at their schools. In general, the response we received was positive. Whether it's due to a genuine interest in our program or a genuine disinterest in creating their own curriculum, I'm not sure.

But being in the townships was an experience in itself. I'm continually amazed by how little people need to live. So many of these families are packed into one- or two-room homes. They are without running water or a bathroom. They have few personal belongings. But they love each other - and love is what makes a home.

Dealing with a history of apartheid is incredibly challenging for me, as an outsider. I can't even imagine how difficult it is for the blacks and Indians. The end of apartheid was in 1994 - only 12 years ago - and I don't think that 12 years is nearly long enough to forgive and move on from something so terrible. One member of our team yesterday was a white South African who volunteers here at the Y. We were talking to one of the principals about getting a large group of students together and he said that they don't have a space that holds more than one class at a time. She was surprised and said, "Don't you have a hall or something?" And he looked right at us and laughed. I felt like he was saying, "You kept us under the rule of apartheid for decades and gave us no money to build and maintain our schools. What do you expect?"

In one of the towships yesterday we stopped to buy "Fat Cook" - which is probably not how it's really spelled, but that's what it sounds like. I think it means "cookie of cooking fat" in Afrikaans and it sounds more like "fet kook" when they say it. But it's essentially fried bread dough - and it is the most delightful combination of carbohydrates and saturated fat I have ever consumed. Really. Yum. Apparently the tradition is to eat it with polony (imagine the disgusting artificiality of bologna x10) and cheese but I passed on those.

West Street

Me: "I feel mostly comfortable walking along West Street - except for the block that has all of the escort agencies. That's creepy."
Meg: "Because they're run by Nigerian drug lords?"
Me: "Um, no. I hadn't thought of that."

I'm Back

I had the flu last week, unfortunately, which resulted in me being essentially out of comission for 3 days. But I'm better now and back to regular life. I spent my first full day at the YMCA today - at a Youth Committee meeting, designing a spreadsheet to categorize member info, typing up notes on leadership, and hanging out with Thabi, the Kids Club coordinator.

Thabi and I were talking about our families and she was showing me photos of hers. She has a niece who is 5, too, so that's fun. The sad part of the story is that her niece's mom (her sister) died last year. I'm assuming from AIDS, though no one ever says. Even on death certificates doctors will not record AIDS as the cause of death because of the shame it brings to families. When talking about people who have AIDS we just say that they are very sick. So Thabi's niece is growing up without a mommy. And I'm reminded how thankful I am that my niece's mommy is healthy.

Yesterday I went to church at Emmanuel Cathedral. It's the big Catholic church in town - and it's old and beautiful, but I can't say when it was built. Mass was half in English, half in Zulu and attended by mostly Zulu people and a few Indians. So I only understood half of it, which was interesting. I felt sympathy for my Dad who had to attend Masses all in Latin back in the day.

And now I'm headed back to my apartment... on either the bus or the Minibus Taxi, whichever comes first. :)

Just an Update

I'm without internet access at my apartment again (the power cord on my computer died) - and I know I owe a lot of people email responses, so please be patient with me if you're one of them. :)

I met with, Paul, the Programs Director at the Durban YMCA yesterday and he is great. I'm going to be volunteering there - helping out with administrative/programming stuff and also just hanging out and playing with the kids. The center is located in a not-so-safe area of the city, Albert Park, and they have kids/teens/youth clubs with about 400 members and activities every day of the week. The programming staff is made up of only 4 people so they definitely have their hands full. Paul also said that I am more than welcome to start up any programs or activities that I want while I'm here - an amazing opportunity! So I'm thankful to have found something so wonderful... and I feel like this is just the type of organization I was looking to be a part of.

In other news, Joel (Sarah's brother) left for his bike trip yesterday (he's biking from Durban to Kampala, Uganda over the next 3 months - see his blog under my links) and it's sad that he's gone but really exciting that his journey is underway.

Oh, and I rode the Minibus Taxi for the first time - it was a little squishy and a little loud, but all in all, a pleasent experience.

That's all for now...

The aWAKE Project

I'm reading a book right now about AIDS in Africa called The aWAKE Project (aWAKE stands for AIDS: Working toward Awareness, Knowledge, and Engagement) - I would highly recommend it to anyone who is interested. It's a collection of short writings from a number of sources.

Of many meaningful quotes, I think these are worth posting:

"From outside Africa it's difficult to see the trees for the forest. The raging fire looks too widespread to quench. The key is to look beyond the forest to the individual trees. If one person at a time is educated or cared for, an entire continent can be saved."
-Recah Theodosion

"I am guilty of living well, and in comfort, and hiding within the shadows of our majestic American steeples. I would hope we could walk out of our comfort, once in a while, to feel the heat of truth on our faces."
-Kevin Max

"No child should die alone without knowing that he or she is loved."
-Tony Campolo

Minibus Taxis

South Africa has a ban on roaming taxis. Truly, I’m not sure what the logic is. So you can call a cab company and arrange a pick-up or you can take the preferred method of transportation, the Minibus Taxi.

Here’s what I know about the phenomenon that is the Minibus Taxi:

1. Each taxi has a defined route that it must follow.

2. The main objective is to pack as many people into the taxi as possible.

3. Operating a taxi requires two men – a driver and a guy who opens the door, collects money, and tells people where to sit in order to achieve the previously mentioned ‘main objective’.

4. Taxis are notorious for driving recklessly and have a high incidence of accidents.

5. Taxi drivers partake in unwarranted and excessive honking (which South Africans call hooting, by the way).

6. All taxis play the exact same hip-hop/Kwaito beat at a blaring volume.

7. There is a system of hand signals (foreign to outsiders) that the operators use to indicate which way the taxi is headed.

8. Drivers spend hours each day washing and waxing their taxis.

9. And the best (and most entertaining) part, taxis have names such as Itsa G'Thing, Oh So Sexy!, and 100% Pure Love – often utilizing the characters z, 4, and ‘.

Pictured here are two versions of Ghetto Boyz at a taxi hub:


I haven't yet ridden a Minibus Taxi but I plan to, at least once. I'm not sure my South African experience will be complete unless I do.

Say what?

South Africa has 11 official languages – English, Afrikaans, and nine tribal languages. That’s a lot to keep track of. In Durban, most people speak English and it is the language of business – though not the majority’s first language. Most blacks speak Zulu amongst each other – or a Zulu/English mix, it seems (again, I’m not the expert).

Anyway, English is good because - as most of you know - that’s what I speak. Unfortunately, I do not speak South African English. So understanding the accent has been difficult at times. And being understood has been difficult at times (most often when I’m trying to ask for water, which I must pronounce significantly different than everyone else).

On top of the accent business, there are quite a few words and phrases that will take some getting used to (as there are in any new culture).

For example:

sorry = excuse me or that’s unfortunate (when you need to pass by someone, when someone drops something)

South African: Sorry!
Me: Um, for what?
South African: You dropped your bag.
Me: Oh, uhh… thanks

isit? = really?

Me: I haven’t seen a movie in quite some time.
South African: Isit?
Me: Uhh… yes. It is

howzit? = how are you?
now now = now
just now = anytime but now
have = take (e.g. “have a shower”)
stay = reside (e.g. “She stays in Johannesburg.”)
pleasure = you’re welcome
shame = that’s unfortunate
hey? = pardon?
hey = (used at the end of a sentence for emphasis, e.g. “There are a lot of people at the beach, hey.”)

And that's about all I know.

Of Life and Purses

One of the largest lifestyle adjustments I’ve made since I’ve been in South Africa (and I know this sounds silly) is not carrying my purse with me everywhere I go. Crime is a big concern, especially in the larger cities. Every guide and piece of tourist info that I have seen makes some mention of mugging and pick pocketing – we’re bordering on paranoia.

I was at the mall my first day here with my purse hanging off my shoulder and a very kind, young South African woman said, "Hold on to your bag, lovey." Mostly, I thought it was strange that she called me lovey, but I was grateful that someone is watching out for the clueless foreigners.

So I leave my purse at home and put my keys and whatever money I will need in my pockets. (I even put a hair binder on my key ring so I can attach them to my underwear if I don’t have pockets.) That means I am frequently without lip balm, floss, tissues and hand sanitizer but I am proud to say that I am adapting well. In fact, I’d go as far as to say it’s liberating. The only downside is that I haven’t been carrying my camera with me and have taken few photos.

I’m starting to feel mostly at ease in my immediate neighborhood and at the beach – and don’t worry, Mom, I am cautious. I try to stay near areas with lots of people and don’t walk alone at night. But going downtown is still a little scary. The Lonely Planet guide offers this tip: "Don’t assume that everyone is out to get you." It might take me a while to get used to that idea but it helps to know that if I am mugged I won’t lose much.

A Brief Overview

I first visited Durban in May 2002 and I fell in love with it for several reasons. For one, it’s a coastal city. For two, it’s dynamic. That’s really the best word that I can come up with, unfortunately.

The population of the city is about 3 million. There is an incredible mix of cultures – Zulu (68%), Indian (20%), and White/Afrikaner (9%). The history of South Africa is complex (and troubling) and watching the post-apartheid era unfold – the racism, political differences, cultural differences, and socio-economic differences – is absolutely fascinating.

Like any city, it has its problems – most notably: poverty, crime, and HIV/AIDS.

During apartheid, blacks and Indians were forced to live in townships outside the city. Many families still live in these townships and most are without flush toilets and running water. The unemployment rate is high and many households have no income.

Around 1994, South Africa was called "the murder capital of the world." Crime has since lessened but is still an obvious concern. It’s dangerous to walk alone at night and most homes in wealthy areas have barbed wire fences and security systems.

And like the rest of Africa, HIV/AIDS is prevalent and the infection rate is increasing. It is estimated that around 35% of the population is infected. That’s 1 out of every 3 people I see when walking down the street. Unbelievable.

So that’s a brief background; from my very limited knowledge.

In lighter news, my apartment is right on the beach and I drink my coffee in the morning while watching the waves come in. The ocean really is beautiful and I am thankful to be so close to it after spending the past 25 years in the Midwest. I am even able to buy Cheerios (Otees) and ramen here. That’s luxury!

It has been 80+ degrees, humid and cloudy, for the most part. Summer is the rainy season.

Sarah and Paul’s wedding was Christmas weekend and there have been lots of people in town and lots going on. Sarah and Paul just left yesterday and now that life has calmed my goal is to get in touch with some non-profit organizations and find a place to volunteer while I’m here.

That’s my life these days. And here are some photos:

Hiking in Kloof

Spices at Victoria Street Market

Beachfront at night

I found this one online - my building is the one in the lower right corner

Wishing everyone a happy New Year!