24 things

This blog has been a long time coming, but I figured that after being in Kimberley for almost four months I was finally in a position to present to you (drumroll please): 24 things that are different in Kimberley, South Africa (also, I know this is a long post, but if you don’t want to read the whole thing please read the last difference – I think it is something that is really interesting to think about).

1. The wealth gap in Kimberley is huge. What makes this gap even more pronounced is the fact that the city is only about 15 sq. km; in ten minutes I can drive from an area where the houses are the size of the White House (and just as nice looking) into a township where the shanties are about the size of 2 dorm rooms put together.

Greenpoint. One of the poorest communities in Kimberley.

2. The money that they use in South Africa is called the Rand (ZAR). One U.S. dollar is equal to about seven Rand. And living in Kimberley is much cheaper than living in the U.S. I can get a loaf of bread for R5, a cheeseburger for R40 and a 700 mL beer for R12. Also, people use cash to buy everything from groceries to TV's (even Afrikaaners).

The South African Rand

3. Schools are a bit different here. Structurally they remind me a lot of my school in Israel - there is no main school building, a few classrooms will stand together but they are not connected by hall ways and the whole school has a very open/ outdoor feel to it. All school children wear uniforms and are required to pay school fees. The higher the school fees, the better the facilities, the better the teachers and the better education the children receive.

Pescodia Primary. This is a colored school. The classrooms are on the side
and they all open up into this outdoor pavilion. Most of the girls are
wearing their uniforms.

4. In the townships most shanties have just one main room (that acts as a living room/ kitchen) and two bedrooms. When people have money they will build an “addition” to their house. This addition is usually no more than a shack that is constructed out of thin aluminum sheeting. Additionally, most toilettes are outside of the house in a latrine-like structure and the presence of toilette paper is rare. To top it all off, the amount of people often living in one of these structures would surely violate every fire code in the States.

A typical "addition" in the townships. Also notice the blanket drying on
the fence - everyone does their laundry by hand. I did this one day... it
took me two hours to wash 3 pairs of pants, 2 sweatshirts and 4 shirts.

5. Most people do not live with their nuclear family. One GRS coach is living with her ex-boyfriend’s mother. Another few are living with their grandmother (whom they call mama) or their aunt. Most coach’s parents are not married and many coaches live with their mothers. In fact, about half of the people here only know their father as some guy that occasionally passes in the street or they do not know him at all.

6. Every house, regardless of location, has a gnarly looking fence surrounding it. Common fence tops include: barbed wire, shards of glass, metal spikes and even electric fences.

7. Goats, chickens and cattle all roam freely around townships.

A man passing roaming cattle on his way to work.

8.  All of my eco-conscious friends prepare yourselves for this next one – there is no recycling in Kimberley and trash is everywhere. It litters school grounds. It is found scattered across open areas and it is piled along the side of the road. More often then not I will see at least one burning pile of trash when I drive into the townships (in the winter people used to keep warm by these burning trash piles, but I’m not really sure why they burn trash when it is 37 Celsius outside).

Beautiful right...?

9. At all stores if you would like plastic bags for your purchases you have to pay for them.

10. Most people in Kimberley do not have a Drivers License. In order to get a Drivers License in Kim, first you have to go to the traffic department and get (meaning you buy) a traffic ID number. Then you have to pass your Learner’s exam (which is much more comprehensive than my own Driver’s Ed was). After you get your Learner’s, you are required to go to driving school (which costs more money). If you make it through driving school, you can go for your License. I have heard that the driving test is very hard (i.e. at every stop sign and traffic light you have to do a 360-degree check where you look in front, to both of your side mirrors and behind you before you can move) and if you make just one mistake you fail the entire test. When you add to this mix that at least half of the testers will ask for a bribe in order to pass you, getting a license is a hard and expensive process. As a result, most people do not have licenses and they walk everywhere or they take taxis.

Allow me to introduce you to the Quantum - the mini bus taxis that drive
crazily all over the streets of Kim.

11. Most people do not own computers and if they do they don’t have Internet access. But people use their phones to download music, check Facebook and share files via Bluetooth.

12. All houses and offices have an electricity meter. You can buy electricity at most gas stations. You just walk in, give them your meter number and they will give you a receipt with a 16-digit code on it. You go back home, punch in this code and viola! Electricity! And when you run out of electricity all the power in your house will shut off (this has happened to us).

Our electricity meter.

13. Gas stations here are full service. Pump attendants will fill your car with petrol, wash your windshield, check your oil and water and even fill your tires with air (and it is customary to tip attendants a couple Rand).

14. All parking lots and all areas where there is street parking have Car Guards. These are people that will stand by your car and watch them to make sure no one steals anything from your car. Also, if you ask (and sometimes if you don’t) they will help you carry things to your car. They will also stop traffic for you and help you back out of a parking spot. Again, if they help you in any way, it is customary to tip them a couple Rand (and that is how they make their living – they don’t get a salary).

15. There are stray dogs everywhere. It is really creepy driving around at night because you will just see glowing eyes everywhere. Also, most South Africans are scared of dogs.

16. There is nothing wrong with drinking in public. In fact, sometimes it seems encouraged. People drink on the sidelines of soccer fields, in front yards and while they are walking down the street. There is even a park in the middle of Galeshewe that people visit just to drink with friends. They bring their own booze and just hang out and drink for hours. The drinking age is 18 in South Africa but kids as young as 12 (maybe even 10) can walk into a bottle shop and buy alcohol. I’ve also seen a group of young girls (they were 14 at most) aloud into a bar. Despite the easy availability of alcohol, people are very picky about what they drink. Guys usually have their one type of beer that they drink and that’s it. Most girls don’t drink beer, preferring cider or boxes of Mainstay (pinna colada, strawberry daiquiri, mojito, etc).

Some people drinking at the park.

17. A lot of people in Kim have gold teeth. Sometimes just half a tooth is gold, sometimes an entire tooth has a gold cap and sometimes people even get gold designs on their teeth (popular designs include the Nike logo, a $ sign, dolphins and stars).

Coach Big Eyes sporting his bling.

18. Everyone here is fluent in multiple languages. In the Northern Cape (where Kim is) the most common languages are Afrikaans, English,  Tswana and some !Xhosa. Sotho is another common language, but I have only come across Sotho speakers in Bloemfontein. 

19. The beer selection is limited in Kimberley. There are three South African beers available – Castle, Hansa and Black Label – and there are two imported beers to choose from – Heineken and Amstel. But there are lots of ciders and lots of wine. And yes, I am still collecting bottle caps over here.

Bottle caps for some of the most popular refreshments.

20. Music is huge over here! People are constantly listening to music on their phones and no one hesitates to sing along at the top of their lungs (in fact most people still sing even when there is no music playing). The most popular genres of music are House music, which has a great beat to it, R&B and anything that has been a hit in America. Adele is currently a crowd pleaser all around Kimberley. And the number one South African artist right now is Zahara (check out her song Loliway).

21. Dancing is also huge over here! There is no wrong time to dance. People will just switch on their phones, put in their headphones and start dancing. And I don’t mean that they just sway in place a little – they groove! They also dance differently… it’s hard to describe, but there is no bumping and grinding, there is actual dancing. Everyone just finds really creative ways to move their bodies. As I’m sure you can imagine, I am terrible at this.

I was visiting a school one day and a group of kids broke out into dance
right in front of me (there was no music playing and they didn't seem to
care that I was standing right next to them).

22. Black and colored South Africans talk about sex ALL THE TIME. It’s crazy. And sometimes it is way too much information…

23. Kids play with home made toys in the townships because most families are living off of a few dollars (US) a day.

24. This last difference is something that has truly amazed me. In the townships, there really is a culture of sharing. I first noticed it just by spending time with coaches. When they have food in the office, they will share it with anyone who asks; when they are smoking a cigarette, they pass it around to anyone else who wants a smoke; when they are drinking, a couple of them will share one beer. I asked my friend Jippli about this sharing phenomenon and he explained it really nicely to me. He said they call it the “spirit of the black man in South Africa.” He went on to explain that if you live in the townships, you will always share what little you have with those who ask because you know that you may have something today, but there is no guarantee that you will have something tomorrow. You share with others because when you are the one that needs something, you know they will do the same for you. Hearing Jippli explain this custom to me and seeing it in action for the past three months has really inspired me. So many people over here have next to nothing, but they constantly make the best of what they have and they are happy. To me, that is pretty amazing.