maun at last

Oh Air Botswana… Today we woke up at five in the morning in order to catch a 7h05 flight, which ended up being three hours delayed. But we just took it in stride and laughed it off (aka – it was good we hadn’t planned anything yet).

When we finally did arrive in Maun (pronounced Ma-oohn), we walked out of the airport and walked around town for all of about five minutes before some guy approached us and asked where we were going. After having a short conversation he offered to drive us to Matlapaneng, where several campsites and backpacker accommodations, including his own, the Old Bridge Backpackers (OBB), were located. We couldn’t believe our luck! After talking with a few people and checking out the rates at OBB, we realized we had stumbled into one of the best deals in Maun!

Setting up the tent.

We set up our tent and headed into town to buy some groceries, laughing the whole time about how well not planning anything was working out for us. On the way back from town (we had gotten a free ride into town), we got the first chance to take in the culture of Botswana. Maun itself is a pretty touristy area (I think the entire Maun economy is based off of tourism) and there are a good number of white people around.

We did have a brief conversation with a couple of young guys who offered to drive us back to OBB if we would give them ‘something’ (money or cool drink). This interaction reminded me of South Africa – people are very friendly, will talk to anyone, and are willing to help, and long as they get a little something in return. The neat part of this exchange was that I somehow ended up being our “point person.” I was the one talking to and negotiating with the guys. We ended up not accepting a ride, but I was pleased with the savvy and confidence I had demonstrated while talking to them. In the end, we rode a combi (a mini bus) back to our campsite. It cost us P3,25 (USD 0.50) – talk about sweet public transport.

The road to Old Bridge Backpackers.

Dinner that night was fun…ny. We were just cooking pasta, but it took forever for the water to boil and somehow we really over cooked the pasta. It was the mushiest pasta I have ever eaten. To top it off, when we were draining the water from the pasta, we used a pot top that was dirty and we ended up getting sand all over the pasta. It was the grittiest, mushiest meal I have ever eaten… but I still ate it.

Old Bridge Backpackers bar and eating area.

It was a good day. The group is still feeling each other out (not T and I – it seems like there are no boundaries between us anymore), but I think we’re all just so stoked to be here in this beautiful place together.

View of the delta from the old pedestrian bridge right next to the Old
Bridge Backpackers.

birth of the podge

For the second time in my life, I bought a one-way plane ticket. But this one wasn’t to my new home in South Africa; it was to Maun, Botswana for a two-week vacation. Yep, Trevor, Katie (one of the interns from Joburg), Audrey (from Cape Town) and I each purchased a one-way ticket to Botswana and that was the extent of our trip planning. The rest we would just figure out as we went along…

We had ideas of what we wanted to do and we sort of knew where we wanted to go, but we had no clue where we would be staying each night or how we would get around the country. Sounds like a good way to enter a foreign country, right? This utter lack of planning led me right into one of the best adventures of my life.

Our trip started at the Johannesburg airport. While our travel group (Trevor, Audrey, Katie and I) was waiting to check in to our flight, Benji (the other Joburg intern) and the Zimterns, Derek and Ali (who were both heading home for the holidays), met us for lunch. There were jokes, stories (Derek had just gotten arrested in Zimbabwe because the officials there are so corrupt), and amazement at how quickly the first four months of our internship had passed.

The crew at Mugg & Bean.

After lunch, it was time for us to hit the road. So after many “travel safe’s,” countless hugs and a few more laughs, we headed towards the Air Botswana check-in counter. The first thing I noticed after checking in was that our connecting flight (in Gaborone) was scheduled to board 15 minutes before our first flight was even scheduled to land… I was a little confused and a bit worried that there was no way we were going to make that flight, but that was the first and last time I was worried all trip.

When we arrived at our gate, we soon found out that our plane was delayed 30-45 minutes, which quickly turned into almost three hours. But the gate attendant assured us that our connecting plane would wait for us, so we settled in and began what was the first of many in-depth and hilarious conversations. And in this conversation, one of the most important things of the trip happened; Audrey was given her nickname. She shared some of her previous nicknames with us and when Trevor heard the nickname ‘Audge Podge,’ he had a field day. Lots of nicknames were tossed about, but it didn’t take long before the group fellin love with the name (and term of endearment), Podge. And in this way, the Podge was born.

Four hours after our connecting flight was supposed to take off, we landed in Gaborone and sure enough, our connecting flight had left (the plane had been ‘full enough’ so Air Botswana decided they didn’t need to wait for us after all).  But all was not lost! Air Botswana got each of us our own room and a free dinner in the Grand Palm, a five star resort and casino!

My room. And yes, there is a window into the bathroom...

We spent the rest of the night exploring the resort and joking about how our first night in Botswana was much different than we thought it would be (we were supposed to be in a tent, not in a five-star, queen-sized bed). It was good that we had made no plans. The last thing we did before going to bed that night was pick our Secret Santa’s. I had the idea that we should do Secret Santa’s so that we could all participate in the season of giving (and so that we each had something to open on Christmas). So with names picked and stomachs full, we nestled into our fluffy beds, where visions of adventures floated float through our heads.

From left to right, Katie, Podge, Me and Trevor at
the Grand Palm.

Happy Holidays!

Twas the night before the 16th and all through out Kim,

Both interns we leaving, for the travel bug had set it.

Off to Botswana and Namibia they would fly,

Knowing that the next two weeks would fly by.

And while they were pondering their unique holidays,

Thoughts of home came flitting through their gaze.

We're missing the snow and the Christmas cookies,

Thinking of those parties and the New Year's nookie.

So to all those back home, let me tell you this,

The one thing I want to give you this Christmas,

Is my thanks and my love and most of all,

A Merry Christmas to one, and a Merry Christmas to all!

total mind f*@#

I spent the past three days at GRS Headquarters in Cape Town participating in a Skillz Street Curriculum Development Workshop (CWD). What does that mean? It means that I spent the last three days locked in a conference room at war with some truly brilliant minds.

And there was sweat and there were tears and there were lots and lots of GRS energizers. And there were ideas flying rapidly around the room, and there were reality checks that stopped some people in their tracks and there were moments when the room was completely split upon the best way to move forward. But at the end of it all, after three mentally exhausting days, the group produced the semblance of and end result about which everyone is happy and excited. And for me, participating in this CDW (as the lone representative from Kimberley) was the best thing (related to work) that I have done since arriving in South Africa.

This is what just one wall in the conference room looked like.

Instead of writing pages about the fruitful discussions we had (which would be easy considering I took 16 pages worth of notes). I’m going to just tell you about some of the highlights.

The first was a presentation given by Rebecca Hodes from the University of Cape Town. She talked about positive living and risk management. She made a great point – usually when people hear or think about sex, they think about love and passion and orgasms. But, HIV – a life-changing disease – is transmitted through this passionate, fun, orgasmic sex. Sometimes the immediate fun, passionate, orgasmic part makes it hard to grasp the consequences of having unprotected sex.

Furthermore, in Africa, HIV ‘exceptionalism’ exists. For most people, contracting HIV is viewed as one of the worst things that can happen to you. But the reality is that HIV is treatable! New research suggests that if everyone who had HIV was getting treatment (anti-retral virus/ ARV’s), then we could have and HIV free generation by 2050. In fact, in Amsterdam, it is worse to receive a cancer diagnosis than it is to receive an HIV-positive diagnosis. In short, it is possible to live a ‘positive’ life with HIV.

Especially when it comes to girls, our program tells/ teaches them to be responsible, but the reality is most of the young girls we reach don’t have control over their own lives and, “choice is kind of a luxury” for them.  We have to give them confidence and the ability to understand that they should try to avoid risk, but that it is not their fault if something happens to them.  We need to help teach these girls how to cope with their lives and even teach them to be strong mothers. Because another reality is that South Africa is a pro-natal society where motherhood is valued and even empowering in itself. If we can raise strong women so that they teach their sons not to rape and not to abuse women, then we will really change generations.

The conversations and debates that happened at the CDW have given me a lot to think about. I am excited for the new Skillz Street curriculum because I think it is going to address some key issues that really do affect girls living in South Africa. I am eager for next year because HQ gave me permission to ‘test-run’ and try out some new ideas that I have. But mot of all, I am hopeful. And I think that is a good attitude to start the New Year with

A graphic I made to help show what the CDW team hopes to include in
our new Skillz Street.

ayobaness

Such a great group!

I turned on my computer this morning and right away the digital Advent Calendar that my mom sent me opened up. I smiled when I saw the snowy scene on my computer screen and looked outside where the sun was already blazing on all cylinders. But when I went to click on December 9, I had a real ‘wow’ moment – exactly four months ago, right around this time (10h00), Trevor and I landed in Kimberley, South Africa.

Four months. This is definitely an anniversary worth commemorating. It is exciting because I feel that I finally understand GRS Kim and Kimberley itself. It is daunting because I have developed several ideas that I want to implement before my internship ends. And it is thought provoking; in four months I have seen and done so much, and much of what I have seen and experienced has really made me stop and think – about NGO’s, about life for most people in the townships, about my own life, and about how I got here.

But enough “deep thinking.” In honor of this blue sky, burning hot, sun-scorching 9^th of December, I would like to share with you one of the best things about living in Kim for four months: I have a decent handle on the language! Well… not really… I have a decent handle on some words and phrases that I use and hear all the time… but that’s still pretty cool! So here goes:

English Words That Are Used Differently

Some of these are cool. Some of these are funny. And some are just confusing.

Howzit – A greeting/ asking ‘How are you?’

Sharp – I’m fine/ things are fine/ goodbye/ a way to end a conversation

Sure – an informal greeting/ an informal way to leave someone

Isit? – Really?

Tekkies – Sneakers

Cocks – cleats

Cokies – markers

Spears – scissors

Flat – Dead (referring to a battery, as in “My phone is flat.”)

Robots – Traffic lights. My favorite. Just imagine someone telling you to turn right at the robot.

Firecrackers – fireworks


Humps - Speed bumps

Borrow me – Pass/ let me use. People always say things like, “Borrow me your pen.”

Point my catch. – Instead of catch my point. Well actually, it’s just Coach Big Eyes that says this… but Trevor and I laugh every time and we have started saying it too.

Tswana

Tswana-speaking communities comprise the majority of Kimberley.

Dumela/ Dumelang - Hello

Wena – friend/ pal

Awae – a greeting

Ayoba – cool/ good

Reiteng – How are you?

Lekkai – I’m well.

Keratta – I love…

Kealebocha – Thank you.

Makwele – potato – This is one of Trevor’s nicknames.

Skangaga – “We are together.” This is actually prison slang.


Babalas - a hangover

Afrikaans

Afrikaans is very similar to German so I can understand a good bit of it, but I can’t speak it that well.

Hallo – Hello

Hoe gaan dit? – How are you?

Lekker – good

Assablief – please

(Baie) danke – Thank you (very much) (pron. ‘buy a donkey’)

Tot siens – a farewell

Uns wa saam – “We were together” – a farewell

Lekker dach – Have a good day

Die laaste hund – “The last dog” - a way to tell someone they are the man

Baie warm – very warm/ hot

Je’s yellick! – You’re ugly! (This applies to a lot of Afrikaaners unfortunately…)

Prachta – pretty

Pratt! – Speak!

Nie man! – No! (A very enthusiastic no)

Pompourmous – grapefruit – for a while Trevor was calling people pompermous.

Comcomer – cucumber

Naughty Words

We hear them a lot (not directed at us usually…) and they are fun to say.

Fit sack! – Piss off! – This is my favorite. I use it often…

Je pratt cack – You talk shit.

Je macht cack – You’re doing shit.

Je’s full cack – You’re full of shit.

Sebono – asshole

Pollo – penis – There is also a car over here called the VW Polo and whenever we pass one Trevor loves to say, “Klin polo,” which means “small penis.”

 Words for White People

Lanni

Mulungu

Boerjie
Yaku

I hope all you mulungus back home enjoyed that! I've got more blogs in the work, so keep checking in! 

The sun setting at Signal Hill in Cape Town.

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.