South Africa ~ Week One

One month seems like plenty of time to leisurely meet all the people you want to meet and see and do all that you plan until Father Time chimes in and gives you a wake up call that his clock is ticking faster than you'd like. Slow down Father Time, slow down... 

After accepting the fact that perhaps Father Time has also visited my body and maybe, just maybe, I am no longer immune to the affects of jet lag, I settled into a really good first week in Johannesburg. Seems I need to rest and allow my body to recover following long flights across the world on minimal sleep and a seven hour time change to boot. Imagine that! I might be getting old... Who knew? LOL!!! While age may be affecting the body, I am grateful that the spirit and mind remain intact and are as young and free as ever!!! I am most appreciative however to whatever is the "special" ingredient in South African Ibuprofen. I swear it worked miracles and almost immediately took away aches and pains that seriously threatened to ruin those first few days of my trip in record time! Do know that I WILL be carrying a bottle home with me and No, I cannot bring any for you, so don't ask. (smile)

During my first week in Johannesburg I have not only seen the sights, I attended a women's rally held at Constitution Hill, a historic and now defunct women's prison with a very sordid past of torture and abuse, I met and enjoyed a wonderful concert by Judith Sephuma, a South African superstar who is as gracious as she is talented, I had an Oprah moment as I visited, posed with and hopefully inspired a few girls at Parktown Girls High, I had the honor of being in South Africa on a very special day in the life of Nelson Mandela and photographing his homes, past and present, which paint a very telling story, I attended a lively and spirited church service, visited and volunteered time with school children in Soweto, grooved to the sounds of good soulful American music, including Frankie Beverly, as I enjoyed good soulful South African food and the freshness of the night air dining under the stars with new Friends, South African and American, at Sakhumzi, a trendy sidewalk cafe in Soweto, and so much more! The first week was a whirlwind. I am grateful to the wonderful people in the states who have referred me to wonderful people here who have made it their business to ensure that my trip to the Motherland is one that is filled with beauty, fellowship and lots of culture. This is good...

I was especially honored to be in South Africa on February 11, 2013. This day of commemoration was exactly 23 years to the day that Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of political imprisonment. The inescapable irony was that on the same day in 1990, I sat glued to my TV set in Alexandria, VA waiting for even a glimpse of him to emerge from Robben Island, the prison where he was incarcerated and which I will tour during my visit to Cape Town. I vividly recall being very anxious for him as tears of pride streamed down my face. I watched as this valiant Black man, a living hero, took his first steps on that Long Walk to Freedom, the title of his subsequent autobiography. His resilience, dignity and grace exemplified for me what it meant to be an unbroken man of true honor, integrity and strength. His head was not bloodied but more importantly, it was not bowed! He continues to so inspire me. Fast forward to 2013, a day in which I find myself just blocks away from his sprawling home in Johannesburg and wishing again to be so lucky to catch even a glimpse of him taking just a few more steps. What an honor that would be.! Life is so wonderfully unpredictable. I am appreciative. Thank you Mr. Mandela!

Because I love my life and value that of others, I have decided not to drive while in South Africa. Not only do they sit on the "wrong" side of the car, they drive on the "wrong" side of the road! (smile) Not to mention that I have never driven a stick, which seems the norm for most cars here. While it is killing me not to be free and independent, I have turned this into an opportunity. On several mornings I have gotten up to enjoy very long and scenic walks exploring my immediate and surrounding neighborhoods. These walks have provided opportunities to see and photograph many scenes and to meet and chat with people I would not have otherwise seen or met.

During my walks I met John, a shoemaker who pitched a tent and created a shoe repair shop along the roadside. He literally rebuilds shoes for folks from near and afar. I sat, took photos and watched him work as he shared stories about his experiences living under apartheid. Interestingly, I did not ask, he volunteered. I am guessing that he identified with me as a Black American whose legacy of slavery is much like that of apartheid for Black South Africans and that here too, many here are still deeply and permanently affected by the brutality and indignation they endured. A few nights later however, I had the pleasure of dining with two young South African women and ironically their White male companion from Germany. The ladies expressed that they give little regard to apartheid because it "did not happen to them and therefore does not affect their lives", I am paraphrasing. Sadly, much is the same attitude regarding slavery in America amongst far too many Blacks, especially our youth. I wanted to believe that because apartheid is not so far removed, that such was not the case here. How do we overcome apathy and a lack of appreciation for a history that should make us strong and proud? Needless to say, dinner conversation was lively on that night! It ended well however. My new Friends offered to show me around on Thursday of next week. Folks here are quite friendly. As I had walked for far too long and much too far on the day I met John, one of his customers was gracious enough to give me a ride home. She raved about the quality of his work and then shared that for 40 Rand, less than five US dollars, she had four shoes repaired, one pair and two odds. Try getting that bargain in the US!!! 

My walks allowed me to meet three couriers preparing for their delivery routes but who were kind enough to stop and chat with the American who had lost her way. Before giving me directions on how to find my way home, one was excited to show me photos from the US of 25 inches of snow in Boston. I shared with them that I had just made it out of the US before the blessed event. After exchanging a few stories and questions on both sides, they instructed that I should "walk to the busy intersection" and at the 3rd "robot" make a left. A robot? What is a robot you ask? So did I. They pointed to what we call a traffic light. That was my traveler's tidbit for that morning. I had no idea to what they were referring. Further along I stopped in a beauty salon where I met three lovely young women who were more than willing to share with me even more important tidbits, hair care tips. Girl talk is universal!

On a grassy path along a highway congested with morning rush hour traffic, I met three more young women who stopped me looking for work. I explained that I was a tourist and had no work for them. We chatted a bit about their lives in South Africa and how hard it can sometimes be. Of course everyone wants to know about America and how they might get there. Conversely, later in the week I had the pleasure of having a business lunch at the airport with a wonderful woman from Cape Town. I was quite pleased to hear her say that she is quite pleased with life in South Africa. Her worldly travels, including to the US, have resulted in her appreciating the richness of her country even more and confirmed that she would live no where else! My message to all I meet, including those women on the path and young girls I would meet later in the week at a private school, is to travel and see the world yes, but return to, love, support and develop your homeland...

I have seen the opulence of quality living and the heart break of poverty. I watched with pride as President Obama delivered the state of the union address and two days later absorbed the state of the nation address as delivered by President Zuma to the South African people. I am here to witness the unfolding of what seems a horrific crime that has everybody talking, a popular and internationally known athlete is accused of murdering his model/actress lover. I have participated in a protest against rape and violence against women, which is a HUGE issue here heated up by another horrific crime, the rape and tortuous murder of a 17 year old girl in Cape Town. Her attackers cut her open and dismembered her body after raping her. Her will was strong. Although they left her for dead, she lived long enough to identify her attackers, one of whom was a former boyfriend. The country is fed up! Similarly, I verbalized and wrote a letter of protest in support of local women in Soweto who were denied access to school facilities to conduct their weekly volunteer tutoring and mentoring program on a very hot Saturday in Soweto. I have wined, OK I drank soda, and dined, laughed and worshipped with new Friends from the states and South Africa. Church in Africa with a twist of Zulu praise and music is quite an uplifting experience! Enjoyed It!

I'd say that was quite a lot for week one! I am pleased with my travels so far. Good people, great conversations, a little bit of politics, a sprinkling of advocacy and some touristy stuff too! My kind of travel! Week two will be more focused on exploring the possibility of living and working here long term and plotting my schedule to complete the "must do" tourist excursions before Father Time steals away with the little time I have... Until then, I will try to blog more regular. As always, the days just fly by and I lose all track of time. For those who are Facebook Friends, I comment and post photos on that site more regularly.

I hope you are enjoying this jouney with me and that you too are having a Fantastic week!!!