South Africa 2007

Ok, there were a few things I said I’d write about upon my return and I’ve been neglecting doing so!

- lets start off right with the stump falling on my foot…on Wednesday night of the trip Phyllis, David, Steve and I were heading to dinner at an African restaurant along the water front. The weather was wretched - cold, rainy and WINDY. The restaurant was holding open their door with this large, carved tree stump. I didn’t see it because when I walked in I was immediately talking to the lady to see if there were tables available. When I turned to tell the rest of the group that they had tables I knocked the stump over with my backpack and it landed square on my foot! The pain was incredible. Luckily I was not seriously injured and just sustained a pretty big scrape and a very bruised foot for about a week. I was very lucky it wasn’t worse - that was a big stump!

- While leaving the school visit I was walking along looking for photos to take when I hear a lady in the background trying to get someones attention. So I look over to her and she asks me if I will take her picture. I’m a little taken aback at the request so I clarify what she is asking me by asking her if she wants me to take her picture. She shyly says yes. I don’t have a problem with that so I say sure! She was just beside herself. She straightened up her chair, fixed her hat, sat down and gave me the biggest smile. I snapped the picture. Then I asked her if she wanted to see it (ahhh the wonders of a digital camera!). She got very excited again and said yes. So I walked over to her and showed her the picture…she was so pleased with how it turned out and asks me who will see this picture. I don’t understand at first, but then I get it and I tell her I will show it to ALL of my friends and she said “Good!”. And I was on my way. You’ll see her photo in my pictures…makes me smile now just thinking about it.

- the hair clip! So after the woman in the hotel said she’d get me the hair clip I didn’t see her for a day or two. I ran into her at some point and she said she’d gotten the clip but didn’t have it with her, would I be around tomorrow? I said I would and I’d come find her. So I did - and she bestowed upon me a beautiful clip! I asked her how much I owed her for it and she said Ah, no. Don’t do that to me (literally!) and I looked at her and said are you sure? She just smiled and said of course. I didn’t push the issue because it would have been rude. She became my friend after that and we chatted a few times before I left. Amazing stuff I say.

I will leave the Geography department visit and the razor wire post for another time. I won’t forget!

I find myself often missing South Africa. I cannot remember the last time this has happened after a trip. I used to think if I ever got the chance to live abroad I’d choose Germany…I think it would be safe to say I’d choose South Africa (at least for now!). I am reading a book by a South African journalist and the stories behind the stories he has written. It makes me want to learn more about South Africa, experience more also. I can tell that I didn’t get enough…there is something about this place that makes me want more.

When I first moved to Illinois I applied for a program that existed at the time which sent librarians to South Africa to help teach librarians there how to do certain library things, and in general to lend support to the library. I was accepted but it was a voluntary program and I didn’t have the $$ at the time to participate. Now that the program isn’t around any more I sure wish I’d taken advantage when I had the opportunity. I can only think that it wasn’t meant to be and this longing that I’m feeling will somehow lead to other opportunities.

only time will tell…

are up!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/marcymae

enjoy!

I don’t think I could have made trip here without writing about AIDS. You really have no idea how much HIV/AIDS has affected this country, in fact this entire continent, until you are here. YOu witness it - free condoms distributed everywhere, AIDS policy signs indicating you need to treat each injury as an HIV positive case, talking to local people and hearing their experiences, the 30 year old man who doesn’t believe that AIDS exists and freely has sex with anyone, numberous sessions at the conference dealing with information seeking and HIV. It is everywhere you go.

A generation devastated by this pandemic, another, younger, generation miseducated by the traditional medicinal practices of the grandparents who are raising them. A primary school where AT LEAST half of the children are infected and are AIDS orphans. A traditional theory that if you have sex with a virgin you will be cured. A country, people, continent under siege. What can be done?

oooo, I found fairly inexpensive internet access!!

Tomorrow I am heading to Hluhlue-Imfolzi game reserve for a day long safari. This is the oldest game reserve in South Africa and the one credited with saving the white rhino. So, I am hoping to see 4 of the “big five” - lion, elephant, buffalo, and the rhino. The 5th is the leopard but I don’t think I will see any of them as they are difficult to catch even under the best conditions. I am excited beyond belief!

The logistical issue I was having today is that I needed a hotel room for tomorrow night - when my friend Jackie booked the room she didn’t realize I was staying an extra night. I went to our hotel desk on Wednesday and the lady said they are booked full, check back tomorrow. I checked Thursday, still full. I checked this morning, still full. I couldn’t really wait any longer so I booked a room at the Tropicana which is where I stayed in Durban on at the beginning of this trip. No big deal - but I have to leave my suitcase all day long tomorrow with the hotel I’m currently staying at and pick it up tomorrow evening after the safari and catch a cab to the other hotel! Oh well, at least I have a bag I have to go pick up!! The Tropicana is also along the beach - I’m hoping the weather is nice enough on Sunday to spend the day on the beach lounging and reading. Today is pretty overcast and chilly, no rain luckily and I’m hoping this all passes for the day tomorrow.

The conference has really been much more rewarding than I expected. The big news of the day yesterday is the announcement of the location for the 2010 conference - Brisbane Australia. Which is ok, but I’ve never really wanted to go to Australia much. I think I’ll make my travel portion of that trip in New Zealand and then go to Brisbane for the conference. I was really hoping it would be in Kuala Lumpur but no dice.

Durban has turned out to be mostly better than we thought. It still is NOT a safe place, no walking around alone or even in small groups - so taxis have been the mode of transportation which has gotten really old. The beach front area during the day is fine but anything beyond that and you are risking getting mugged. I heard that a few librarians had that experience during the conference. But I can imagine that in its heyday Durban was quite the place.

I’ve really enjoyed watching the ships coming and going - at any given time we can see about 15 ships either leaving or entering the port of Durban (our hotel room faces the beach/ocean :-)) I’ve also really had a great time watching the surfers! The waves had died down the past few days but it seems they are picking up with whatever weather system we have coming through.

No stories for today. I’m pretty tired - there has been no sleeping in at all on this trip, I plan on sleeping late on Sunday. I had two meetings this morning and I am finally done. Oh did I mention at all that I am now the secretary for the Government Information and Official Publications committee of IFLA? I am. Jackie is at a meeting right now and then we are going down to the waterfront for dinner at the Cargo Hold where apparently they have a giant fish aqarium type thing with some sharks in it Unfortunately I missed the trip to the oceangraphic institute yesterday due to me mixing up times so no sharks :-(  But anyway it has been a great conference - learned many new things and met lots of great people.

Off to do other internety things! See some of you next week and talk to the rest of you soon!

This is the last day I will have computer access as the exhibits to the conference close. I’m disappointed in the access I’ve had in Durban, I was hoping for more…but I take what I can get! I may try to write while I am at the airport in Madrid, otherwise I know I will have ending remarks once I return to the states on Monday. Saturday is my safari and I depart on Sunday, arriving at JFK on Monday afternoon. I’m staying in NJ Monday night and then heading on back home Tuesday morning for meeting Tuesday afternoon! No rest for the travel weary.

I’ve had a great conference. It was so much better than I was anticipating and I am happy for that. I’ve had great company, great food, met lots of new librarians from around the world. Two things I will write about when I get home -

the visit to the geography department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal 
the culture of razor wire and armed guards here in South Africa
the lady who made me take her picture
the stump falling on my foot
the rest of the hair clip story

just not enough time on the computer to write this time!!!

As always, I hope you are all doing well!

Today was the point in the trip where I have one of those moving experiences. I went to visit the Saphumelela Junior Primary School and its library as a half day tour. I really don’t know if I have words to describe…the school is in a very rural area outside Durban maybe about 1/2 hour 45 mins. The children who attend this school are poor and do not have much and neither does the school. But what they do with what they have is one of the most incredible things I have ever seen.
As a welcome to us - international visitors - the children, in unison (a few hundred of them), sing their welcome song. Then they perform a task which they perform every day - kids of different grades get up in front of the whole school to recite stories, dramas, sing songs or even just recite the alphabet as proof they are learning. So we got to see them do their stuff. All the while they are catching glimpses at us, waving at us, smiling at us. It was amazing.
Then the library! For a school such as this the library was absoultely incredible. Of course they rely mostly on donations but the librarian there has done such a fantastic job, I imagine there are few school libraries in the US which are better! They fed us lunch, the kids did some traditional Zulu dancing and they were just having a ball with their visitors.

I have to say, I was moved to tears. The description above does nothing to describe the experience and I will in the next few days see if I can do it justice. I am not entirely sure I can…

First and foremost the best news of the trip: my bag has arrived!! It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day! After a fantastic dinner at a great italian place, lots of wine and beer, Jackie and I arrive back at the hotel. Walk into the room and there was my bag!!! I seriously couldn’t believe my eyes…from what we can tell it has been sitting in the Durban airport all week!! It did arrive in Johannesburg, I didn’t clear customs with it, and they DID put it on the next flight to Durban. A South African Airlines flight though and not a British Air flight…so it arrived in Durban on 8/13 (last monday!) and apparently just yesterday the SA airlines and the BA people just spoke and worked it out. I don’t care I’m just pleased to have my stuff

Random things:

It is pointless for the surfers to fight against the waves of the ocesn. So instead of swimming out to surf, they walk to the end of the pier and jump off. This puts them exactly where they want to be to catch the perfect wave. And there are tons of perfect waves. Waves like I’ve never, ever seen before. It is great to just sit and watch the surfers do their thing.

Yesterday morning after breakfast I saw one of the ladies who works at the hotel has a really nice hair clip so I compliment her on it. She says to me - you want one? I can get one for you. I laugh and then realize she is serious. I ask her how much it costs and she says to me - oh, don’t worry about that we will talk about that tomorrow. I think she is off today but I know she’ll be back tomorrow, it will be funny if she actually goes and buys me one of the clips!

 That is about it for now…today I am doing some conferencing then heading to the Indian market at Victoria Street. Am really looking forward to that and hoping I don’t spend to much money Which actually seems impossible to do here…last night there were five of us at dinner and we split the bill between us all and it came out to about 90 rand per person. Which is about $15 and you would not believe the amount of food and drinks we had for that amount.

Life was good before the bag arrived and it is even better now!

love to all!

Today is day two in Durban and this is going to be a fast post as I’m using the computers at the conference and they opened today so there is somewhat of a line…yesterday was full of meetings and other fun stuff. I caught up with Phyllis (my Dean from WIU) and her husband David and we went to the botanical gardens for lunch and some strolling. Had a great time. Then a bunch of us went out to eat down on the water front. I had fish curry and some fantastic sushi and as usual some lovely South African wine. It was a great time!

Today was a truly, truly beautiful beach day! Jackie (my roommate, a librarian from Queens University in Ontario) and I slept late, had a leisurely breakfast and then walked along the beach and through the Sunday market that was going on today. I got a new pair of pants from this great Indian couple and a fun new bracelet. I know some other funny story things happened but I’m to tired from the sun now to remember them The beach is beautiful and there was a ton of people out, lots of surfers, sailboats and giant freight ships (Durban is the 3rd largest/busiest port in the world). A great day indeed.

Now off to a meeting, then a reception and then dinner someplace. Not much going on tomorrow so I may juts find myself relaxing at the beach again! I went to a meeting of geography and maps library people and found out they are doing a tour to the University of Kwazulu-Natal’s geography department…I’m pretty excited about that and also another trip down to the marine research center to see their GIS facilities as well as some sharks (hopefully!)

still absolutely no trace on my bag. I talked with the insurance company this morning and they are still working on it…I’ve been brooding about it today and I’m hoping it will pass.

love to all!

This morning (and what a beautiful morning it is) is my last in Cape Town. I am so sad, I think I could have stayed here the whole trip - there are so many things I didn’t get to see…but as Rick Steves always says “Assume you will return”.

I struggled with whether or not I should go to the top of Table Mountain today. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning for it, which means that everyone else was going as well. I opted against it as I have some housekeeping stuff I needed to do - more souvenir shopping and possibly buying a freakin’ suitcase since my backpack is proving insufficient. And I also needed to unload the pics from my camera onto my usb drive so I’d have enough room to take more.

See one here

Still no word on my bag. The insurance company called this morning and said they hadn’t been able to get through to Iberia - no surprise there, it took Drew quite awhile when he tried for me the first night. As each day passes I’m less and less hopeful….

But now work begins tomorrow…but still have some pretty exciting things ahead. Tuesday I take a tour of the Valley of 1000 Hills . On Thursday I tour a township outside of Durban and visit their school and school library (really looking forward to that, though the books I brought along are in my suitcase ) and then on Saturday I do my full day safari trip! In between on one of these days I may, just may take a boat trip with this non-profit organization who tags sharks to do research. I read in my book that they’ll let you come along on the boat…so - I think it would be pretty neat…I’m apparently bound and determined to see a shark - plus I need things to keep my mind off of the bag ordeal.

well, off to do some more shopping. I want to thank Drew and my mom for being there for me in the early days of this trip. It was rough and like I said before I shed many tears and they listened to my sadness and frustration. Also, I’m not sure what the computer situation will be in Durban so I may not be able to post as often, I hope I can!

I hope everyone is well!